Careful Planning
by VelvetPersona
Summary: True strategy requires careful planning and Cole always understood this important fact. He utilizes his foresight not only in battle, but in love as well...Rated M for lemon in later chapter(takes place after Cause and Effect)
1. Speculation and Determination

**Hello! Geez, this chapter has been done for over a week, but I had problems posting a new story because the category tab wouldn't pop up for some reason. I tried constantly and I even referred to FAQ section to see if any other authors had the same problem. I tried their suggestions and finally got it to work, thankfully. Phew! So anyway, here's the first chapter for the second short story featuring Cole and Sasha! **

**Please read and enjoy!**

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Careful Planning

(Cole's POV)

"_**RAAAAWWWWRRRR!"**_

Nagendra flew over the surface of the ocean at an amazing speed, creating sprays of waves from her wings. I grasp the harness around the shimmering scales of her thick neck tightly as she soars upward into the clouds above. She performs a graceful corkscrew and I shout at the thrill of the ride.

"Come on, Nagendra! Show me what you got!" I holler in challenge and she responds by bellowing loudly. I bring my upper body closer to her neck when she tilts and her head swoops downward. The increase in velocity is astonishing as she dives back down towards the surface. My eyes widen when I realize she isn't going to pull up. I have just enough time to take a single deep breath before her snout along with the rest of her body and me go under into the moving warm water.

I'm amazed that she doesn't decelerate, her form adjusting perfectly to the change of environment. She swims strongly with her wings and claws and I have just enough time to glimpse at a grove of bright red coral reefs before she shoots upwards and breaks through the surface, taking flight once again flawlessly.

I inhale numerous breaths and cough a bit, my hood now plastered to my head. Nagendra chuckles deeply.

"_**And how was that, earth ninja?" **_She growls, an edge of pride in her voice.

I peel back my wet hood with a laugh. "Not bad, Nagendra…not bad." I pat her scales as she chortles again; her immense body reverberates to create that snarling laughter that only dragons have. The leather of her wings receives the updraft of warm thermals from the ocean and her flight pattern evens out to a smooth ride. I really did miss this feeling…

"I appreciate you doing this for me," I say. "I know you usually only let Sasha take hold of your reins."

"_**Hmm, very true. Only my master may control me however, I do not mind…you have Master Sasha's scent all over you."**_

A smile crosses my face at her remark. I guess for those with superb olfactory sense would be able to tell if two people were romantically involved or not.

"_**Tell me, why the sudden need for the open air on my back? The Destiny's Bounty is more than capable of flight and for quick travel you are equipped with your Spinjitzu Vehicle. You must have a reason."**_

Nagendra doesn't see a difference, but I surely do. The feeling of liberty while soaring through the skies on the back of a dragon completely outmatches the stiff maneuvering of a ship any day. And sure, I have my Tread Assault except, the power and speed Rocky had…we were unstoppable! My brothers probably wouldn't see the similarity, but to me we were figuratively the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and a rider without his steed is only at half of their full strength. I remember feeling like a part of my soul had been wrenched away when Rocky flew off with the other dragons into the setting sun. Wherever he is I hope he's okay and happy. I wonder if he would even recognize me if we happened to cross paths again.

"Truthfully, nostalgia is all. I had a dragon once, Rocky was what I named him. He guarded the Scythe of Quakes over at the Caves of Despair and man…I was terrified when I first saw him. That was over a year ago and we became friends shortly after. So many missions and adventures, everyone had their own dragon…" I close my eyes briefly in remembrance. Taking care of Rocky, feeding him his favorite snack, washing his scales, the numerous races we engaged in against the others. "Those times will always be treasured," I finish.

"_**Your words are respectable, indeed worthy of the Earth Dragon…Rocky, you said? Yes, I suppose at the time he was unable to tell you the birth name his parents gave him since dragons can't speak until they've reached full maturity…" **_Nagendra flaps her wings and banks left to avoid the approaching shoreline.

"What? Do you know him?" I ask in a rush. "What can you tell me?"

"_**The Earth Dragon, Tetra is the son of Kodiak and Lycia of Intravalia. He and I were hatchlings brought up in the same rookery, a strong dragon even then. He was always so subdued…calm, refusing to boast about his skills and might like some of the other dragons. I admired him and he and I were friends."**_

"Were? You mean you're not anymore? What happened?"

I'm surprised when she gives a huff of indignation and growls. _**"I am a Water Dragon, kin to Lord Leviathan, almighty ruler of the sea and he is an Earth Dragon, kin to Lord Bahamut, the undisputed King of Dragons…It was never meant to be." **_

"Uh…can you give me a little bit more than that?" I request while scratching the back of my head in confusion. "So what? Are you saying that Leviathan's followers are like the Capulet and Bahamut's are like the Montague?"

"_**I am not familiar with such dialect. Are you comparing humans to dragons?" **_Nagendra shakes her head, _**"Anyway, he was so persistent. He wanted us to try to be more even though our destinies would not allow it. And I refused to commit myself to a relationship that I knew was doomed to failure."**_

_Doomed to failure? How could you have been so certain of that if you didn't even try? You shouldn't let limitations stop you, especially in regards to love…_

I keep my thoughts to myself however and instead lightly press her to elaborate. "So, what happened between you two?"

We continue out over the open sea with only the sound of the wind and the soft cry of seagulls for a time before she finally answers.

"…_**Customarily, a dragon must reach full maturity before being chosen for any position of importance. However, my Lord chose me to become the new guardian and adjutant of his mortal advocates while**__**I was still in the midst of my training. I was ecstatic and deeply honored, my studies and training were giving me my dream early, but…at the same time Tetra had been summoned by his Lord to fulfill his own destiny. And…in a moment of weakness…yes, that was what it was…a moment of weakness…I despaired when he was taken away. I remember him calling out to me, promising me that we would be together again. Like I said…persistent…and for a split second…I caved and believed him. That was centuries ago. I have let go of my foolishness and moved on."**_

"So you have a mate?" I ask and she snorts belligerently.

"_**Hardly, I haven't had the time to look properly…m-my duties in all."**_

The way her voice wavered tells me she put in that last bit as an afterthought and I decide to call her out on it. "Nice excuse, but it sounds to me that you might still have a thing for Rocky. You guys really sound like an off version of _Romeo and Juliet_, hopefully though your tale won't end in tragedy like theirs did. Maybe you should read it, it's a classic."

"_**I have no interest in reading sentimental literature by mortals," **_she huffs. _**"I have enough knowledge about humans to last me a millennia, thank you."**_

I laugh at her tone and pat her neck scales once more. "Okay sure, it's not as action-packed and suspenseful as say Macbeth or Hamlet, but there's no such thing as too much knowledge."

She suddenly powers forward in the direction of home. _**"As much as I'd like to continue our conversation Ninja of Earth, we'd best return to your vessel. My master is surely waiting for our return. The hunt continues I'm afraid."**_

Oh right, it is about that time. After Jay got back from the hospital, Sasha had insisted we sail around for a while to give the Bounty's engines a rest from flying. Of course no one bought her flimsy excuse and that's when she admitted she just wanted to be near the water again. We didn't see a reason to object to her desire so we decided to travel through the Red Sea. Only since then, it's been a week and every single day Sasha would take off with Nagendra and Zane to go…somewhere. What I found suspicious though is that the two of them were always equipped with harpoons. I could get no info out of Sasha and the only thing Zane told me was that she enlisted his help to search for something. My guess is that they haven't found it yet. It would explain why Sasha always looked so pissed when they returned empty-handed.

_Maybe Nagendra can give me a hint at least. Whatever the three of them are searching for can't be that big of a secret._

"Hey, what—"

"_**And before you ask, I have been sworn to secrecy and I will not break an oath to my master," **_she interrupts calmly and I sigh.

_Never mind._

Well, I guess the silver lining of her distraction is that I can continue planning my surprise for her undeterred. I need to speak to Jay and Ayane today; hopefully they've been able to do their parts.

As soon as the Bounty comes into view, Nagendra descends into the water and paddles up to the starboard side. Sasha is on deck along with Zane, both equipped and ready. I leap off Nagendra and over the railings just as Sasha turns away from my brother of ice and walks up to me. My brow furrows when I see the nervous smile she sends my way.

"Had fun?" She asks and hugs me.

"Uh, yeah Nagendra's great, but…are you okay?"

We pull apart and she peers up at me with a playful lop-sided grin, "Yeah, why wouldn't I be? I'll see you later, I gotta get going."

She sidesteps out of my arms, but before she can get too far I call to her. "Sasha, listen whatever it is you're looking for don't let it get you down and stressed. The importance of your health greatly outweighs anything else."

I know I said the wrong thing when she whips her head around and glares at me over her shoulder. But then, her anger dissipates and she looks into my eyes.

_"Você não entende o quanto é importante para mim fazer isso ... por você." _("You do not understand how important it is for me to do this…for you.")

The only two words I recognized from her native tongue were _"entende" _and _"importante"_. The rest I couldn't catch. Nagendra greets her master with an affectionate nuzzle and Sasha kisses the top of her snout. A hand lands on my shoulder and Zane passes by me.

"Brother, it is you who need not worry. Everything is fine."

His smile reassures me somewhat and he too boards Nagendra's back after Sasha. The water dragon growls and with one controlled flap of her wings she's airborne. I watch as the trio fly off into the distance wishing I knew their destination.

_Maybe I shouldn't worry…perhaps she's just looking for a certain fish to cook a nice meal with. It's possible._

I turn around towards the door leading to the interior. _Time to find Jay and Ayane; preparations still need to be made. Everything must go according to plan…_

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(Sasha's POV)

_Today's the day. I'm going to impale that stupid grinning fish if it's the last thing I do!_

I grip the harpoon in my hand tightly remembering how that stupid fish darted out of harm's way when I threw it and then had the audacity to look behind him and grin before burrowing deep into the sand to make his escape, showing the prize I wished and longed to have.

Those wickedly beautiful fangs!

They would make the perfect necklace, the same necklace that my momma gave to my daddy while they were still dating. She told me the story of how daddy used to always posture in front of his fellow fishermen about how he was the best Poseidonia had to offer, but there was one particular fish that always eluded his capture. The amorilla. How those hideous things became known as the "_símbolo dos casaisas"_ (couples' token) is beyond me. With the face of an angler and the length and width of an enlarged barracuda, it was both formidable and grotesque. So anyway, she decided to knock him off his high horse and took it upon herself to capture the famed fish and present its teeth to him.

Momma is not originally from Poseidonia, so she didn't know of the amorilla's importance or value. She didn't know it was a symbol of everlasting love between two people or that each diamond-encrusted ivory fang was worth five grand. Her only goal was to shut my dad up.

It took her four days out at sea to locate and kill an amorilla. She said it was a stroke of luck. That Lord Leviathan had a hand in her success and maybe even her marriage because when she crafted that necklace and fastened it around daddy's neck; she said she'll never forget the look on his face and the words that followed from his lips.

Momma said daddy was awestruck, dumbfounded and that it took a few minutes for him to sober up, but when he did the seriousness of his expression baffled her at first and that's when he asked, _"Do you love me?" _and she responded playfully, _"Of course." _Then daddy followed with, _"Do you want to marry me?" _Momma said it was surprising to her that her answer came so easily, _"Yes."_

Of course, Cole's and I circumstance is very different from theirs. For one, Cole had more or less already proposed…which I have yet to give an answer to and he doesn't know much of anything about Poseidonia's customs, so I can't get upset with him for not knowing how much I want to give him an amorilla's fangs. It'll be a rare and memorable gift, something that I hope he will cherish and realize from its significance that my love for him is everlasting and unconditional.

_I know I can do this for him. I know it! Crafting the necklace is the easy part. The hard part is catching this stupid-!_

A firm hand lands on my shoulder and I turn back to look into Zane's kind pure hazel eyes, "Fishermen are patient, Sasha. We will catch an amorilla, but always remember to exhibit serene temperance. Don't let your mind cloud with pessimistic thoughts."

"I know, Zane." I nod and take a few deep breaths, "I'm just getting a little overanxious. We're running out of time. Cole's birthday is in three days."

"_**Excuse me, not to be a bother, but…I have an inquiry," **_Nagendra starts hesitantly and I reach forward to rub the glimmering aqua scales behind her horns.

"Not at all, my friend," I reply with a smile behind my mask. "What's on your mind?"

"_**Well, this may seem somewhat peculiar coming from me, but…have either one of you read the classic play, Romeo and Juliet? And if so…is it worth my time to read it myself?"**_

I scoff at the mere mention of that monstrosity of a play. William Shakespeare was a genius, there's no doubt about that, but _Romeo and Juliet_ was the cradle of idiocy. Not to mention, _Taming of the Shrew_ with its blatant degradation of women…psychological lessons or "taming" to make the perfect bride my ass. Bah, it's no wonder that play saw such controversy.

"Yeah, sure," I say sarcastically, "if you want to kill time. That's the only reason I can come up with to read that piece."

"_**You disapprove then?" **_She questions and I answer honestly.

"I disapprove of the premise. _Romeo and Juliet _went down in history as one of the greatest romance tragedies ever written, but to me it was just the opposite. It was a comedy. The nonsensical telling of "love at first sight" was so incredibly well done that it created a world that lacked even the slightest bit of realism."

I had no choice but to study that god-awful play at the Marty Oppenheimer. The _real_ tragedy was Mr. Hishida making us not only read the play which was the two longest weeks of my life, but also to watch the movie and then an actual live performance of it. And what made it so bad was that Jazz and some of the other girls and boys in my class adored it. I remember my best friend sitting next to me with tears in her eyes when the Juliet on stage had decided to stab herself in order to be with her "dead" lover. _"Oh, happy dagger…" _indeed, I bet that dagger was "happy" to stab her poor delusional ass and put her out of her misery. The only relief I got that night was from Peter seated behind me muttering how unsympathetic he was about the plight the young lovers were in. It was nice to know that my boyfriend at the time shared the same views on the matters of love that I did. Jazz however, argued that I was too stiff and hardcore to be a true romantic.

"_Oh Red, love isn't something that's supposed to make sense, ya know? It's not something that can be calculated and solved. It's purely magical, so loosen up and get with the program!"_

I started to wonder right then and there if Jazz grew up in a Barbie Dream house instead of the real world. I understood dating and courtship because that was what I was going through at the time. What I had experienced. What I didn't understand was how after only five minutes or so of talking to a person you start makin' out with them and not even twenty-four hours after meeting that person you try to get married to them. That's the definition of fantasy love not true love.

"It is however, something to speculate about. Am I right, Sasha?" Zane voices from behind me and I glance at him over my shoulder. "The phenomenon that is "love at first sight"…it is truly a miracle."

"No it's illogical," I counter. "C'mon Zane. You are a being of science. Don't tell me you believe in such fairy tale logic? Are you saying that as soon as you saw Ayane you were madly in love with her and wanted to marry her?"

"No of course not, although I did feel an intense attraction towards her. My emotional framework sent foreign yet impactful emotions to my CPU and I wanted to know where they would lead me. I wanted to court Ayane."

"Exactly my point, you wanted probable cause for your feelings, right? And the only route to get there is through courtship. Not running off and getting married right away without figuring out if that person is truly compatible for you. Thanks for proving my point, Zane."

I return my attention forward and scan the waters below me. Still no whirlpool…Dammit you stupid fish! Where are you!

Zane's light-hearted chuckle distracts me and he states his reasoning. "Just because it is something you or I have not experienced doesn't mean that it's not a possibility. The brain is only partially receptive to emotions. It is your heart that tells you whether or not you are in love. What melody of beats does your heart make when Cole is nearby, Sasha? How many beats per minute does it thump? And while your mind is trying to find reasons why you feel the way you feel, why you are so aware of that particular person. Your heart has already provided the answer. Love can be categorized on so many different grounds and there's not just one particular route in getting there, but several depending on the individual and I sense that among us there is one who truly believes in "love at first sight"…I wonder who it could be?"

His hand removes itself from my shoulder as I think about what he said. Could my love for Cole be nonsensical as well…? Not a chance! I had a powerful attraction towards him in the beginning when we reunited, but I didn't give my heart away. We wanted to pursue a relationship and learn about one another. There's nothing illogical about that and our love has only grown since then.

I can honestly say without a doubt that I truly do love Cole Belmonte.

So, what is this that Zane senses about one of us who believes in the fabled "love at first sight"? Well, one thing's for certain.

_It sure as hell isn't me!_

"Humbug…" I grumble with finality and remove the juvenile notion from my head.

"_**Such compelling arguments the two of you have. Perhaps I should strive to broaden my horizons on the demographic of human literature. I may indeed learn something worthwhile," **_Nagendra decides and flicks her ears. _**"Hmm…I feel a disturbance in the water. Stay quiet while I fly low…it may be our prey."**_

I heed my guardian's advice and try to extend my own senses towards the waves below. Nagendra descends with grace and hovers about ten feet over the surface. I concentrate as hard as I can until I can feel the stirrings of my element react within. The water was ill at ease and something was causing the unrest. The kingdom of aquatic animals below swam in disarray and I could feel little hearts pound in terror.

There was a predator on the hunt and depending on which one would decide if we investigated or not…

"_**There! Whirlpool!" **_Nagendra whispers triumphantly and flies a little ways forward until we're positioned right above the swirling vortex.

_Okay, time for a plan. The amorilla can't get away this time!_

"Alright, we know this sucker makes these whirlpools to round up prey more easily and we've used these vortexes before to get to his general location. He's fast, so we have to be faster. He was startled when he saw you Nagendra, so you'll stay above water this time. Zane and I will have to do this on our own."

My friend and I rise together and look down at the eye of the whirlpool below. I cut my gaze to him. "Let's not charge him at the same time. You ambush him and force him towards my location, but if you see an open shot then take it. If not, let me do the chasing since I'm a faster swimmer…I'll skewer him right through the eye."

Zane nods, his eyes alight in determination which I'm sure match my own. "Understood."

He dives and I follow quickly after him. The warmth of the water awakens my spirit as the vortex takes up deeper and deeper towards the ocean floor. Bright red coral reefs align onto rock formations everywhere, coloring the ocean in a blush of crimson and coincidently, giving the sea it's name.

I have seen this beauty throughout the week so I swim on undistracted, letting the spiraling currents twist my body in rhythm with the amorilla's movements. I see Zane's black and white form break off from the current and I follow his lead in the opposite direction. I scan the clear waters and see multiple schools of fish, but their tightly knit formation is disrupted by the vortex and they scatter in disorientation. That's when I spot him.

His gleaming ivory chops crushes through the fragile skeleton of an unfortunate clownfish; it feasted with relish and fervor. I glare at that maniacal grin as it happily catches another victim and begins to eat. I see Zane from my peripheral and notice him swimming a wide circle around the hungry amorilla to get behind him. I keep downwind of our prey and head into a thick patch of the red coral reefs, knowing that my hair would provide the perfect camouflage.

We each have three harpoons, three shots a piece. One of us has to strike the killing blow and claim those teeth!

I lie in wait patiently amongst the small forest of crimson. Multi-colored fish swim hastily all around me in fear, but I pay them no mind…

A frightened bellow sounds in the distance and from my position I can make out the long thick black body of the amorilla and a silver harpoon stuck in the sand beside it. Its facial fins spread wide as it roared aggressively at its unknown assailant. Another harpoon rockets through the water at a devastating speed towards the amorilla, but the bastard evades the attack almost effortlessly. Zane appears shortly after, propelling his body forward to pursue the now fleeing amorilla. They are still too far away for me to make a move, so I remain where I am to survey their approach. When they're just a few hundred feet away, the aquatic beast makes a split second decision and veers off course, but Zane fires another harpoon to cut him off and keep him coming in my direction.

_Just a little closer…you got 'em, Zane…_

All of a sudden, the living atrocity spins around and barrels right into his pursuer. Clearly taken by surprise, Zane struggles with the wicked predator and falls back into the sand, scattering the peach powder everywhere.

_Shit! Zane!_

I erupt from the thicket of reefs and power hurriedly towards them. I prepare a harpoon just as the dust dissipates and I have a clear shot-!

_Ugh!_

Something large and hard slams into me from behind and my body twists from the impact. Instinctively, I strike out with all three of my harpoons and thrust them as deep as I can into my huge attacker. All I can see is red. I'm swimming in a sea of blood. I continue to hold my breath, but my stomach lurches, threatening to spill its contents. My mind feels clogged and I'm wondering why I can see a black sphere amongst the moving crimson and that's when I realize…I am staring into the cold dead eye of a shark.

Drawn in from the stench of fresh blood, it must've come to feed and if there's one then there could be more. I can sense the emergence of danger before I see it and reach behind me for my Bo staff just as a second shark materializes. It charges with its jaws wide and I place my staff in front of me to defend. My feet touches the ocean floor and I dig my toes in to push back when it chomps down on my platinum weapon. Its jaws keep moving, trying to crunch through my only line of defense, but not even the powerful serrated teeth of a shark can crush a weapon forged by a God.

The precise moment my adversary opens his mouth again, I retract my weapon and jab the head of it fiercely into the shark's nose. I feel and hear the damage done, the abrupt shattering of cartilage sounds and the mammal twitches then falls to the ground unmoving, blood seeping through its nostrils. More blood makes visibility impossible, but I can still sense the danger around me and I can't locate Zane.

_NAGENDRA!_

A mighty roar pierces from above and the crimson tides grow darker as more blood floods the Red Sea. Something smacks into my side and I reach out to grab it. I barely move my head to avoid the snapping of ivory fangs as the amorilla thrashes about in my grip. Letting go of my staff, I utilize both hands to grasp my despicable game.

_You bastard! I got you! I got you!_

I feel crazed and demented as I dig my nails into the black scales and use one hand to remove my mask. Without a second thought, I open my mouth wide and bite down on the exposed lower neck under his mandible. The metallic taste of blood seeps into my mouth to mingle with the bloodied sea water, but I don't falter and bite down harder until my teeth penetrate the jugular. My lungs burn from being unexpectedly filled with water and I begin to choke on the river of the amorilla's life essence. My body slumps slowly forward just as my hard-earned prize gives one final spasm before going completely still.

Exhausted and pained, I can keep my eyes open no longer. I'm happy though and as the red world goes black…my thoughts are only on one man.

_I did it…for you…Cole…_

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**Oh, what fun this was to write! I really missed writing action scenes and was happy I could incorporate a little into this story. I'm also happy to say I've been pain-free for the last couple of days and my physical therapy is really helping in my recuperation. In regards to the story, do any of you believe in "love at first sight"? Heehee, unlike Sasha I kind of liked **_**Romeo and Juliet**_** although it did lack realism, it was still an interesting read. By the way, I realized what I said about the whole Cole, Jay, and Nya thing was a little harsh and I apologize for that. Ninjago is a far from perfect show and I forgave it countless times for its inconsistencies and discrepancies, so I'll take this new concept in stride. I'm not worried about it anymore since it won't change anything in regards to my stories. I just wonder why they never mentioned any sort of time elapses. Everything just seems so half-assed and lazy *sigh* oh well…the previous seasons will always be my favorite. **

**Please read and review! **


	2. Reflection and Preparation

**Hi everyone! I simply adored the reviews you guys left me so thank you so much for those! I'm not going to bore you all with a lengthy introduction just know that this chapter is quite long. I went through this piece with a fine-toothed comb, but grammatical errors may still be about. Maybe I should consider getting a beta…**

**Please read and enjoy!**

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Careful Planning

(Sasha's POV)

This darkness is familiar, but I don't feel no stabbing pain, no whisper of a farewell. The abyss is calm, peaceful even…

_I did it…just like you, momma…It took me a little longer, but…I did it…just like you did for daddy. And daddy…are you proud of me? Did you see me…from Lord Leviathan's ocean of stars? _

_**He saw you, Sasha.**_

_Waves…? _Her voice as always is a pleasant unfathomable alto.

_**Yes, it is I. Your strength and conviction is undoubtedly amazing…but you can become even stronger. Your fear and hesitation must be entirely removed from your soul. You know what you must accept in order to unlock a new power.**_

My fear and hesitation must be removed completely…? Am I not supposed to be human…? Accept pain, suffering, and ultimately death….I can't deal with this right now. Sensei Wu…if only you were here…I could really use your wisdom and guidance.

…_Waves, why do I feel so sick? I feel like I have to-!?_

I awaken with a jolt of pain and nausea. I turn my head to the side and vomit a mixture of blood, water, and regrettably my lunch. The disgusting aftermath floats atop of the waves then disappears from view. The taste in my mouth is sickening as I cough and pant.

"Oh, thank Shiva. Hold on Sasha, we are almost at the Bounty."

"_**Master Sasha, thank the seas you are alright."**_

_Zane…Nagendra…_

I try to speak, but only end up coughing and gasping hoarsely. Zane's wet gloved hand touches my face.

"Don't strain yourself. I found you right after you lost consciousness. We made it back to the surface safely thanks to Nagendra. She had to kill twelve sharks to protect us while I carried you. From a medical scan it appears your regurgitation has dispelled all the blood and sea water from your stomach, but unfortunately the laceration on your left cheek is still hemorrhaging profusely. It doesn't look too deep, however because there are so many blood vessels in the human face, it's only natural that you would bleed so heavily."

That's when I finally register the pain emitting from my face. _Damn…_I shake my head miserably to clear it except another wave of nausea along with dizziness hits me. I groan and roll over to face the other direction only to come face to face with the ugliest thing I've ever seen in my life. The amorilla…Its white eyes blank and dead and its mouth slightly agape, ugly yet beautiful at the same time all because of those exquisite ivory fangs which belong to me now and soon they will belong to Cole.

I smile and weakly lift a hand to slap the damn beast. The miserable cretin caused me far too much grief, but…it has definitely been worth it.

_Everything is—wait…Cole…Cole!_

I struggle to sit up and Zane takes a hold of my shoulders to support me. When I attempt to speak again, my voice sounds cracked and horrible.

"Zane, Cole can't see me like this! He can't! I need Ayane to heal me!" I get out desperately and although I know my breath must be rancid, Zane keeps a straight face.

His brow furrows in confusion, "I don't understand. Why can't he see you? Your injuries are not dire, so Ayane should not have to heal you."

"Because…" I grip Zane's arms for leverage and try to fight through the pounding headache that has begun to surface at my temples. "Because that's what the majority of our argument stemmed from," I lament. "I've always been self-reliant and independent. I can shoulder my own burdens and problems. He doesn't think I'm as strong `as he is and…maybe not physically, but…"

I stop as my mind brings forth a recollection of the past. I had my Bo staff of Waves pressed up against Cole's throat and his back was against the wall. I had such rage. How could he have thought that it was okay to invade someone else's privacy? Then he gave his motive to justify his indefensible behavior.

"_What was I supposed to think, Sasha?"_

He had his own anger. His emerald-jade eyes were dark in reprimand towards me for not depending on him when I needed to.

"_What was I supposed to do when you've already kept something crucial from me? Can you really blame me for worrying, thinking that something else may be wrong?"_

You should have more faith in me. You should respect my strength and understand that I am resilient and not weak.

"_Don't twist my words, Sasha. You know that is not what I meant."_

I've trained hard every single day in both mind and body. I wanted to carry my own weight in battle, to be there for my sisters and also for all of you. I had to push myself, to better myself not only for the team, but I also wanted to relieve some of the pressure off of you by becoming a good leader. However, you made it all for naught, stepping in front of me like I couldn't do anything. I wasn't thankful to you…I _loathe_ you during those moments.

"_Sasha…I don't want to lose you. That's why I've been so protective of you."_

I want us to be equals, to depend on each other evenly, but…you rarely do that. You keep your arms crossed and your face stonewalled. You've been shouldering responsibility for so long that you've forgotten what it feels like to rely on somebody else. I feel like I'm always trailing behind you…like I'm not on your level. But maybe…in a way…the reason for my wrath…is because you were right.

"_No you're not, so don't you dare stand here and lie to me. If you were…you wouldn't be crying…"_

I am nowhere near your level. I am still too weak and feeble and I hate it. I am not ready to accept my destiny.

I know my prolonged silence is questioning, but I can't say anything else. Such turbulent emotions are coursing through me, leaving me speechless. Zane's eyes are patient and slightly fretful. Now, I'm beginning to worry _him_. The anger I feel at myself gives anchor to sadness and I turn away from one of my dearest friends, a friend who had just finished saving my life.

_I'm sorry, Zane._

My eyes linger on nothing but the passing waves and I caress the exposure of beautiful aqua scales along Nagendra's slick hide.

"Sasha, I will not pretend to fully understand your reasoning. However, we are each going through our own quarrels with our significant others, so I will not ask any unnecessary questions. I sense the ache in your heart in regards to Cole as it is similar to the ache in my Coronary Circuitry in regards to Ayane."

I turn back to him. His eyes are downcast, but he soon lifts his gaze to mine and gives a rueful smile.

"You and Cole are two of my most trusted friends…Just know that the effort you put into getting this gift for him is equally exerted in how he is striving to mend things with you." He nods, "I will help you, Sasha. I will contact Ayane now."

I move to embrace him and his arms encircle me gently.

"Thank you, Zane…you know, for everything," I whisper and release him. He smiles then cocks an eyebrow.

"You are welcome. One thing though…you may want to consider brushing your teeth once you've made it safely to you and Ayane's quarters."

I instantly cover my mouth and scoot back away from him hastily. When I glare at him, he bursts into laughter and removes his PMS from his belt.

_Man, like I really needed to hear that. I know my breath is kickin', thank you!_

The long black body of the amorilla catches the edge of my vision and I turn to it once more. The puncture wound under its mandible…my finishing blow. Ugh…just looking at it makes my stomach lurch in discomfort. I've never really had a taste for raw fish, I prefer mine battered and deep fried. Hmm, I really do miss momma's cooking. I try to mimic her style and creativity in the kitchen and everyone always compliments my cooking, but sometimes I'm dissatisfied when certain dishes don't come out tasting just like momma's. I guess every child feels that way…wanting to inherit specific skills from their parents despite being satisfactory in general standards. And Sophia…I wonder how she's doing? From her last letter, she told me she'd won her school's latest swimming competition and that she had a pimple right in the middle of her forehead. I chuckle under my breath. It's been so long since I've seen my family. It's been so long since I've seen Poseidonia…

I swipe at the cut on my face irritably when I feel a rivulet of blood travel down my cheek. How did I even get this? It must've been when the aquatic nightmare tried to take a snap at me. Speaking of which, not only can Cole not see me at the moment, but he can't see the amorilla either. Well, at least not until those teeth are removed and in my possession. But, what can I do? The process of removal is so meticulous and I can't exactly drag the smelly thing back to my room. It'll be way too messy to do it there.

I suddenly notice that something crucial is missing from my person.

_Waves!? Waves, where are you!? _I ask the spirit and look about Nagendra's back frantically in search of my precious weapon.

_**Fear not, Sasha. I am currently clutched between the fangs of your adjutant.**_

Hearing the spirit's mellow voice in my head lifts my anxiety and I breathe a quick sigh of relief.

_Thank goodness._

I return my attention to Zane just as he removes his PMS from his ear and reattaches it to his belt.

"Ayane said she just saw Cole and Jay enter the Game Room and that she'd be waiting for us on the deck."

_That's good news, but…_I peer at Zane's profile carefully. Out of all of us, both Ninja and Kunoichi, the ones who really don't need a mask would be Zane and Ebony. They have mastered stoicism to a perfected art. Not even their eyes portrayed their emotions and my friend's stare at the moment, was out towards the expanse of the Red Sea. I may not be able to conjure up an accurate psychological profile on someone like my sister of darkness can, but I'd like to think that I knew Zane well enough to realize when something was troubling him.

Just how were things going between him and Ayane? I've been indefatigably dealing with my own matters with Cole that I haven't really paid much attention to anything else. That's not to say I don't have ears. I was there after all, in the same room and even in my rage-induced state I heard the saddened words of Ayane and the remorseful words of Zane. The terms _"trust and honesty" _replay in my mind, important key points in any lasting relationship.

We are each our own person, so we'll go about forgiveness in our own way. I'm really not into meddling in other people's personal affairs, but it couldn't hurt to ask.

"Hey," I begin softly, "how's your own reconciliation with Ayane going?"

He sighs and directs his gaze down to me, his expression remaining unreadable. "Ayane willingly walks into my arms now and just two days ago she told me she had forgiven me."

I smile up at him brightly. "That's great, Zane! You'd think you'd be a little bit happier though…what's wrong?"

"I am, Sasha," he says sincerely but still runs a hand through his damp gravity-defying hair fretfully and continues, "I am glad that Ayane has forgiven me for my nonsensicality. However, communication between us is still…lacking…"

I stay quiet as he settles down next to me. "She has still not mentioned anything about the celebration taking place in Shika next month and I know it commences during the first week of May. Spring is reaching its climax and something is still troubling her…I cannot fathom why she has such reluctance in confiding in me. How can I ease her pain if she refuses to unburden herself?"

I reach for Sophia's Pearl and finger the perfect white sphere. A frown etches its way across my face as I recall what I learned yesterday evening. After dinner, Nya and I remained at the dining room table leafing through a few catalogs for bridesmaids' dresses. She and Jay had announced earlier while everyone was still gathered, that they had decided on a date for their wedding. July 4th. Apparently, they both thought it would be rare and completely ironic to get married on the day when independence was celebrated and coincidently it would be the week after Kai's birthday. Kai thinks they did that on purpose. It was a very joyous occasion and it was especially enjoyable to see Jay back at 100% health and full of energy, but there was also something else in the blue ninja's eyes that I'm sure everyone saw. They'd shown in such clarity and strength, a newfound wisdom of maturity had emerged from his and Nya's reconciliation and all of us were happy for them.

But I digress. We were just narrowing down on a few choices when suddenly my PMS went off. Ebony had texted me and literally demanded for Nya and I to come to her room. I felt a little irritated at the interruption, but I also knew Ebony never communicated needlessly, so I informed Nya and we left to go meet with her…

* * *

_**(Flashback yesterday night…)**_

_**When we open the door, we see multiple books open and strewn across Ebony's bed. Our youngest sister was studiously leaning over them while Mydnyte carefully stepped around them to avoid disrupting her owner's concentration.**_

"_**Ebony?" I call out, but she keeps her attention on her books.**_

"_**Close the door," is her short order and Nya and I comply after entering. **_

"_**What's going on? What's all this?" Nya questions next as we come to a halt near the book-littered bed. Ebony gradually peels herself away from her reading and closes one of the books.**_

"_**I'm sorry to have called you two here so suddenly, but…there's a problem," she says with soft concern. "I've just finished speaking with Ayane and she revealed a troubling past incident to me that is hindering the progression of her relationship with Zane."**_

_**I move one of the books aside and sit down. Nya follows my lead and takes a seat on the opposite side of the bed.**_

"_**What is it? Is Ayane okay? She's not crying, is she? You didn't leave her crying, did you?!" I demand hotly.**_

_**Okay, granted seeing Ayane cry is not exactly a rarity since everyone knows she's the most sensitive and emotional person on this ship, but I'm talking about depressed tears not happy tears. My sisters and I learned just how sentimental Ayane was when we had a movie marathon a few days ago in the Game Room. It wasn't very difficult to convince the guys to let us occupy the room for a day. Thankfully, all I had to do was announce that we were going to watch a crap ton of Disney Princess movies and they made themselves scarce. It was for educational purposes really, given that neither Ayane nor Ebony knew what a Disney Princess was, while Nya and I grew up watching most of their films. So, I was prepared for the sense of nostalgia they would provide, however I wasn't exactly prepared for finding out that some of the Disney Princess movies were…kind of lame and boring. And Ebony agreed with me. She fell asleep during most of them with the popcorn bowl in her lap, although she did like a few, mainly **__Beauty and the Beast__**, **__Aladdin__**, **__Cinderella__**, and **__Mulan__**. She commented that she didn't give frog's fat ass (something I'm sure she got from Jay) about **__Snow White and the Seven Dwarves__**, stating that while the dwarves were entertaining enough there was just something stupidly naïve about Snow White. Nya tried to defend the Princess by telling Ebony that Snow White was the youngest of them with only being fourteen, but she just scoffed and said, "That's still an old enough age to express a decent level of common sense. How could one be so trusting to someone so obviously wicked?" Everyone had no choice but to agree with her on that. I guess when you get older and more experienced, some of the magic leaves you and you start to see the world in living color. Nya's favorite Disney Princess movie is **__Mulan__**. She told me this a while back and said that there was just something so awe-inspiring about a girl willing to risk her own life to save not only her father, but her entire country and the fact that she was Chinese was a little added bonus. Mine is **__The Princess and the Frog__**. Goodness, what can I say? Other than that it was about damn time! I felt like that movie was made for me and every caramel, mocha or chocolate-shaded sister everywhere. I absolutely became enamored with Tiana's character and was inspired by her belief that hard-work could make anyone's dreams come true. No fairy tales needed! Before I left Poseidonia for Ninjago City, I begged momma to take me and Sophia to go see the premiere and she did. It was ground-breaking for my fifteen-year old self and served as the final push I needed to leave home and fulfill my dream in becoming a great performer. Little did I know that Lord Leviathan had other plans for my destiny…I liked some of the other films, but that particular one will always be my favorite.**_

_**Ayane however adored all of them. Her eyes were alive and bright with wonder and awe when Genie performed his magic for Aladdin for the first time. She cried silently with Ariel when her father destroyed everything in her precious grotto and cried some more when Gaston stabbed the Beast and killed him and continued to cry even after his resurrection. And don't get me started on the musical numbers! She was bewitched and thoroughly entertained by every single one. I found Ayane simply phenomenal. She was a kunoichi, a well-trained assassin and merciless killer, and yet somehow she still managed to hold onto some of her innocence. As for the rest of us, including the Ninja, we had lost ours completely. After many more animated films such as **__Finding Nemo__**, **__The Lion King __**and **__Rise of the Guardians __**we started to branch out and watch a few action movies and that's when the guys started to trickle back in. It was nice of them to bring drinks for us and there was hardly any tension in the air for me and Ayane, so we allowed them to stay. It was a grand time and we hooted and hollered at the epic fight scenes and dynamic explosions the films provided. When we started dipping into psychological thrillers and sci-fi, Ebony really woke up and started to enjoy the marathon and Kai was right there beside her, bursting with joy at her enthusiasm. **_

_**Zane suggested **__Michael Bay's Transformers __**and **__James Cameron's Avatar __**to the line-up and it was then that we learned how much he appreciated the ingenuity of the creation of a sentient robotic race and that the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime, was one of his role models. **__Avatar__** was stunningly gorgeous and Ayane was enthralled by the Na'vi especially Neytiri. Her exact words were, "I can't believe how similar the people of Shika are to the natives of Pandora…It's almost overwhelming." Jay enlightened us on how **__Avatar__** was one of the few movies that portrayed a deep ecological theme and a subtle environmental message and Zane schooled us further by adding that the director acknowledged that his masterpiece shared themes with **__Princess Mononoke__**, which featured clashes between cultures and civilizations, and with **__Dances with Wolves__**, where a battered soldier finds himself drawn to the culture he was initially fighting against. It was easily one of the most impressive movies of our queue and after that was finished, Nya wanted to watch her favorite genre of movie, romantic tear-jerkers. This produced a groan of dismay from the guys, but regardless they decided to stay with us and watch one. Insert **__The Notebook__**...huge mistake. By the end of it, I don't remember ever crying so hard in my life and I wasn't the only one. All of my sisters were shedding tears over the elderly couple that fell asleep and died in each other's arms. It was a happy ending, but it was still so sad at the same time and Ayane took it the hardest. She actually got up and left the room and Zane had followed her. We didn't see the two of them for the remainder of the evening and Ayane never showed up back at our room. The next day, we found out that she had spent the night with Zane and throughout most of the twilight hours, she cried in his arms. **_

_**The severe emotional content within the film got to each of us, but me, Nya and Ebony were fine and over it by dinner time. For Ayane to be so depressed for hours over a movie proves just how in tune she is with her emotions. A dangerous attribute for a kunoichi to have and we all knew it. All of my sisters are dear to me, but Ayane is the one I feel I have to watch over the most.**_

_**Ebony meets my gaze evenly. "No, she did not cry. Not a single tear…at least not in my presence." Her hands reach for another book before she chooses to tell us more. "You two remember her telling us about the Amaterasu festival, correct? Well, as it turns out Ayane had someone special to her before Zane."**_

_**This news definitely got me and Nya's attention as we glance at each other in intrigue, but we decided to stay silent and listen. **_

"_**It was when she was sixteen and she got involved with someone from her Hunting Pack. She told me his name was Itsuki Honda and she had been seeing him for over half a year. During the time they were together, she really liked him and maybe even loved him and since it was nearing the annual celebration, she thought she would ask him to escort her so they could participate in the Couples' Ceremony on the Day of Courtship. However, when she finally located Itsuki, he was engaged in a passionate kiss with another girl."**_

"_**WHAT!?" I roar in primal anger.**_

"_**A two-timing goat," Nya whispers with scorn.**_

_**I can't believe what I just heard! How could any guy choose to cheat on sweet ol' Ayane! How dare he?! He doesn't deserve to breed! I will remove him of his thick milk-squirter and if I find the jezebel he was with—**_

"_**Now before the both of you decide to declare war on these two, let me just say that the female participate, Leah, was innocent," Ebony states and flips a few pages of the current book she was searching through. Indignation still rushes through me like a tidal wave through my veins, but I clench my teeth and wait for her to explain. **_

"_**Evidently, she had no idea Ayane and Itsuki were together since the latter had failed to relinquish the information. Furthermore, she was not even an established resident of Shika, just a wounded wanderer that Itsuki took in and introduced to only a few people."**_

"_**Okay, putting the two cumquats on the backburner for now, what happened to our sister?" I question as calmly as possible and Ebony looks up from her book. **_

"_**What you'd expect, Ayane was devastated by what she had witnessed and immediately fled home. She said she told no one, but somehow her friend, Hansuke, found out and reported it to Daichi. Itsuki was soundly punished."**_

_**This made me smirk. "Was he put to death?" **_

"_**No."**_

_**I growl, "Then he wasn't punished enough!"**_

_**Ebony raises a hand, "Just listen. Ayane didn't go into much detail, but apparently he faced immediate and indefinite expulsion from the Hunting Pack and…detrimental injuries. As for the girl, she was apprehended and taken to Daichi for interrogation since Itsuki smuggled her in and didn't inform any of the higher ups. She was indeed innocent and had a very tragic past. Daichi pardoned her and now she is a permanent resident of Shika. She apologized to Ayane several times, but…the damage had been done. And now…her mind will not let go of the incident," she finishes and returns her eyes to the books. **_

_**Okay, what? Now, I'm confused and I'm sure it shows on my face. Fortunately, Nya speaks up.**_

"_**Whoa, wait a minute, Ebony. If Daichi took care of things then why is Ayane still hanging on to the memory?"**_

"_**Because she is Ayane," she answers simply.**_

_**I promptly face-palm. **__Argh! Dammit Ayane, don't tell me…_

"_**Oh my…" Nya begins quietly, "Don't tell me she thinks—"**_

"_**She thinks history will repeat itself," Ebony clarifies swiftly and Nya and I both sigh. "Since that time, she secluded herself in her uncle's home during the Day of Courtship and cried. The damage done to her heart was very severe and now she is afraid if she goes to Zane with the intent to invite him to the festival…she will find him with another girl, so she refuses to. She doesn't want to lose him."**_

"_**Pffft! Who the hell is Zane going to be with?! The Ghost of Christmas Past!? There's nobody here who's single besides Lloyd! Need I say more!?" I explode in frustration.**_

_**Ebony continues on unperturbed by my shout and shoots me a hard glare, her one visible russet-garnet eye narrowed in warning. "There is a psychological barricade within her mind that doesn't allow her common sense to differentiate between probability and impracticality. I have read about this particular case of irrelevant paranoia before somewhere in one of these books. I just need to find it so I can help her cure herself. I only told you two because I didn't want either of you badgering her about when she's going to invite Zane."**_

_**I stand up and make my way to the door. "You can go ahead and look through your books, but I'm going to go take care of our sister. This is ridiculous!"**_

_**My hand turns the knob, but before I can fully open the door to step out, Ebony's fingerless gloved-hand slams it shut. **_

"_**You will not. I will not let you."**_

_**I turn to her sharply. "Let me?! Have you forgotten who you're talking to?! FYI, my only intention is to facilitate not badger!"**_

"_**Your only intention is to yell at her to follow your own logic. Sasha, you have limited compassion."**_

"_**Oh and you're just overflowing with it!? Miss I-can't-come-help-you-out-of-that-bear-trap-at-the-moment-because-I-have-fishsticks-in-the-oven!"**_

"_**What Ayane needs right now is a helping hand not a hand that's going to reach out and slap her in the face." **_

"_**How about I slap you in the face!?"**_

"_**Try and you'll end up with only one hand."**_

"_**Is that a challenge!?"**_

"_**No, it's a promise."**_

"_**Ladies, ladies, ladies, please calm down."**_

_**I can feel Nya's hand on my shoulder, but my only focus is on the angered chocolate-red iris of Ebony. Our brows touch squarely as we stare each other down. I don't care if she is half Agamemnon, I'll knock her ass out!**_

"_**Now, let's remember what the real predicament is, okay? We all have the same good intention which is to help Ayane, but…we are a team, right? If one sister goes to talk to Ayane then we all go and that's what we are going to do. Not now, not tonight, but on a day when tempers are not flared and we are not threatening to mutilate a fellow kunoichi, savvy? Water…Dark?"**_

_**The hand on my shoulder tugs at me to back away from my younger sister and I do so slowly whilst still making fierce eye contact.**_

"_**Yeah." I grumble.**_

"_**Hn." Ebony lets out.**_

"_**Right, okay. Ebony, Sasha and I are going to go back and look over those dresses and you can get back to doing your thing. I'll see ya in a little bit."**_

_**Ebony steps aside and returns to her bed without another glance or word towards either of us and Nya ushers me out the now open door. To say the least, I was pissed for the rest of the night.**_

_**(End Flashback…)**_

* * *

I haven't spoken to Ebony since last night and she's avoided looking in my direction or even coming within my vicinity so far today. Ayane can usually sense the slightest tension between friends, but if she's noticed then she haven't said or done anything to mediate the dispute like she usually would. Maybe because she knows she lies at the center and also because she knows her words would fall on deaf ears. After all, "Wind" is needed to placate "Water" and "Dark" not "Light". My anger towards Ebony has long since evaporated however, I just hate that she said I had "limited compassion".

I have a lot of compassion dammit! I just don't like stupid shit!

If I see a problem that is easily rectifiable then I take practical action and see to it that it's solved. I wasn't going to yell at Ayane…well not really. Okay, maybe that's one of the reasons why some people are intimidated by me, I have a strong voice and I am a bit tall, but I'm only trying to help not belittle and harass. I don't like nonsense AKA stupid shit and will take any logical means in order to get the job done. Now, I'm not saying Ebony's way wasn't logical only that it lacked the necessary forwardness. Bah! I can hear her low voice in my head now.

"_What you may call "nonsensical" may make sense to the other person. You don't put yourself in another's perspective and try to see it from their angle, only your own."_

Hah! I call bullshit! If that was the case then my way would lack common decency and I really would have "limited compassion". In the past, both my fellow peers at the Marty Oppenheimer and my friends back home have been gracious to me for helping them see reason. Some people even sought me out if they had a problem that needed fixing in a timing manner. I've been exposed to many different situations and I utilize my experience to help understand their plight. My intentions are pure and just, so why would I change and use a more unorthodox approach? It would be an insult not to mention a contradiction to my very being! Who do they think I am?! The Queen of the Looney Toons!

This is a simple problem with a simple remedy. There's no need for a complex intervention or whatever that involves all three of us to confront Ayane. She's forgiven Zane on her own and now she's dragging her feet on further progression and not letting go of the past. Well, I'm going to help her pick up the pace and stop procrastinating. I'm going to help her deal with her problem and give her the courage she needs to talk to Zane about the festival. I'll prove it to "Wind" and "Dark". "Water" can take care of "Light" on her own…as soon as my head stops hurting. Oww…

I settle my hand on my distraught friend's shoulder and he turns to me.

"Don't worry Zane she'll come to you soon," I reassure and he blinks.

"What are you going to do?"

"Hey, you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. Friends help each other out; I'll talk to Ayane and see what I can do."

He smiles. "I appreciate your aid, Sasha. Thank you."

I nod and look over his shoulder to see the Bounty come into view and even from a distance I can spot Ayane's bright blond head. As Nagendra nears the railings, Zane immediately leaps over and embraces his girlfriend. I shoulder the amorilla and take my time in rising to my feet. However, when I try to move to step over the chrome bars my visions swims and I buckle. Luckily, Zane and Ayane are both there to keep me balanced and help me over them.

_Great…ugh…now my equilibrium is off._

I close my eyes and will the world to stop spinning then reopen them to see Ayane's worried face swirl into focus.

"Sasha! Don't worry, I'll heal you," she says and immediately her bright yellow locks transitions to brilliant white gold as her powers activate. Once her hands frame my face, the pain ebbs away to nothing and the cut along my cheek mends. I feel so much better.

"Thanks…Ayane," I breath and she grins.

"No problem."

Both her hands and Zane's leave my person, and I turn to beckon Nagendra closer in order to retrieve my Bo staff. I lean my head against her long snout lovingly.

"And thank you Nagendra. I'm so grateful to have such a reliable guardian," I say and she nuzzles back with a soft growl.

"_**It was nothing Master Sasha, I enjoyed the expedition. Now, I can only hope for your success pertaining to the earth ninja's birthday."**_

_You and me both…_

I pet her cheek and kiss her snout. "Get some rest, my friend." I then dispel her and in a burst of shimmering water, she disappears. I use my staff for leverage, not trusting my legs to work properly and massage my temples with my free hand.

"Sasha, um…is that what you've been searching for? It looks kinda…weird," Ayane asks, her mismatched eyes skeptical as she looks at the dangling fish corpse slung over my shoulder.

"Yep!" I admit happily, "This is Cole's birthday present or rather…" I readjust the amorilla so that she may see the head, "these are."

Ayane gasps and comes closer to expect the valuable fangs. "My word, these teeth are gorgeous!" She praises then peers up at me. "They will make a beautiful necklace for Cole. I know he'll love it!"

Pride swells up in my chest at my miraculous catch. I still can't believe I was successful, but I still require Zane's assistance.

I grin at my blond sister then face the white and black ninja. "Zane, if you don't mind I have another favor to ask of you."

"The amorilla, yes?" He replies, leave it to him to catch on so quick. "Of course, Sasha. Once the teeth are extracted I will send someone to deliver them to you as quickly as possible."

Ayane removes the lengthy black body from my shoulder and takes it over to Zane before returning to me.

"C'mon, let's get you to bed. Even though you're free of injury, you still look a little drained," she urges and takes my left arm to place it over her shoulder.

"Y-Yeah," I stutter, feeling my stomach tighten and cramp uncomfortably. For some reason I still feel a little sick and tired.

_I'll talk to Ayane later. Right now, I've got to lie down and rest for awhile…ugh…right after I brush my teeth. Yuck!_

(Cole's POV)

"Here it is! Voila!" Jay presents dramatically. Encased in an upright glass container is a single long stem red rose. "As was your request good sir, this flower has been modified with a potent aroma sleep-inducer. One good whiff of this baby and Sasha will be out cold for approximately seven hours."

"Seven hours. Great, that's perfect. Thanks, Jay," I say and take the container from his hands to inspect the rose within closer. The crimson petals sparkled with an unnatural beauty, but I doubt Sasha will take time to question the added feature only admire it.

I smile broadly. Everything is now set. All that remains is the execution of my plan tomorrow morning and hopefully the outcome will be my reconciliation with Sasha. Ayane had handed me Sasha's suitcase filled with some of her clothes and necessities a little while ago, enough for a three-day getaway. I had placed it in Kai's room beside my black duffel bag, so he can grab both of them quickly when the time comes. Nya plotted a course for the Bounty to automatically set sail and dock at Quatre Falls by 6 A.M. and from there it will take five hours and fifty-four minutes to reach Poseidonia according to my GPS. I don't want to burn daylight by taking the highway, so I'll be traversing the rugged terrain which my Tread Assault is perfectly equipped for.

Ebony helped me pick out gifts to send to Sasha's mother and little sister. They're supposed to be arriving today, I just hope they like them. I'm sorta nervous about that. I hope they don't think I'm trying to butter them up and get in good graces with them through presents. That's not it at all. I only want to make a good first impression. I've been keeping in contact with the Gracianos via PMS for weeks now without Sasha knowing. Both Ms. Graciano and Sophia know I'm in a relationship with her and have been anxious to meet me for months. The only problem is that I haven't received a callback from Ms. Graciano in regards to it being okay for Sasha and I to visit and stay for three days. I already told her about my plan and she confirmed it was okay for us to come last week, but…I just want to make sure she knows we'll be there tomorrow. Maybe I'm just jittery about meeting Sasha's family, but the last thing I want to do is show up out of the blue. Hopefully, she calls me tonight or tomorrow morning.

"Hey Lloyd, come here," I call out to him. He had just finished his training with Kai down in the Ninja Training Hall and wanted to relax and play video games before dinner. He presses the pause button to stop his game and walks over to Jay and me.

"Yeah?"

"This is the flower I want you to plant in the cabinet where Howard and Lilia's bag of barley is tonight after dinner. Make sure you're not spotted by Sasha and most importantly don't forget, okay?" I instruct and hand him the glass case.

He takes it delicately. "Don't worry about it, I got it." He says and suddenly eyes me up and down, "You really are pulling out all the stops for her, aren't ya?"

"You better believe I am," I reply and turn around to head for the door. "She's my mission objective, so I have to give this everything I have."

_I have to give __**her**__ everything I have._

I open the door, but before exiting I glance at Lloyd over my shoulder. "Keep it hidden until you're ready to plant it."

He nods and I leave the Game Room with Jay following behind me.

"The last one you need to check with is Zane, right?" He asks and I grin.

"Yeah, he and Sasha should be back by now, so I'll see if he's alone yet. I wonder if they were successful in their search."

Ebony appears from around the corner of the dining room and heads in our direction. I notice she is carrying a small black sack in her hand.

"Whaddup, Eb?" Jay calls in greeting and Ebony acknowledges the both of us with an elegant dip of her head.

"Jay, Cole," she says as she nears. She peers at me from the corner of her eye and I catch that ethereal smile of hers. "Tomorrow's the big day…best of luck to you Cole although your triumph is indubitably guaranteed."

I smile as she continues past us without stopping. I feel a modicum of confidence stir within me at her words. It's nice to know she thinks my plan will succeed.

"Hey Cole, do you smell something…*sniff*…fishy?" Jay suddenly asks and I give a sniff to the air as well.

"Yeah…" I say slowly and follow the smell to the kitchen. Passing through the double doors, I find Zane at the island in the center of the kitchen ever garbed in his frilly pink apron and Kai, fanning his hand in front of his face in hopes of minimizing the unusually strong stench of fish.

My eyes fall on the source of the odor, lying atop of the cutting board in front of Zane.

_What the hell…?_

"Hey," Jay starts and steps around me to approach the island, "what's with the goofy-lookin' fish? Don't tell me that's dinner?" He finishes while pointing at the elongated black corpse and Zane smiles, lifting his knife to sever the head in one stroke.

"Why yes Jay it is. This so happens to be the special entrée Sasha has been searching for," he states coolly. He then twirls the blade so that the blunt side is facing downward and commences to the run it rapidly up and down the fish's body to remove the scales.

"Wha…?" I gape and move closer so that I'm standing right next to Jay. Upon closer inspection, I deduce the black catch to be at least four feet long and very thick, but that severed head…sheesh…large beady white eyes and a crooked…_toothless _smile. This thing looks ludicrous! And now we have to eat it?

I lift my head to examine Zane with a dubious eyebrow raised. "Are you serious, man? Sasha's been searching over a week…for grandpa fish here?"

All three of my brothers laugh at my joke and Kai comes to stand on my right. "I never knew that such a fish existed," he chuckles and Jay reaches for the severed head.

"That is because it is rare and a supreme delicacy," Zane explains, keeping his sharp gaze trained on his chore. "The amorilla may look preposterous, but its meat has a delectable spiciness that makes seasoning unnecessary. We are having gumbo tonight, so prepare to be thoroughly satiated."

"Huh, I guess so," I sigh and shake my head. "Where's Sasha?" I ask next.

"She has taken to her chambers to freshen up and take a nap. She's most likely asleep by now," Zane answers without missing a beat.

_Alright, I won't disturb her then…?_

From my peripheral I see the head of the amorilla gradually rise, it's pallid dead eyes staring at me and Jay obviously at the helm of the whole charade. I could hear Kai snickering already.

_Sigh…here we go…_

"_Cole~~~Cole~~~," _Jay starts in a ghostly grandma voice, flapping the gummy jaws of the dead, _"I have been looking all over for you for such a long time. For you see, I am your mother!"_

Kai cracks up as I turn my head to face the amorilla. "Jay, I think I liked you better when you were on your deathbed," I jibe, but he carries on unimpeded.

"_If you want proof just look at me…we look exactly alike! And look…" _the head swivels to peer down at its long body, _"we both love the color black!"_

While Kai continues to laugh like a hyena on crack, I reach up and pinch the bridge of my nose.

_Yeah, a few days away from these guys will be better for my overall health and sanity._

(Sasha's POV)

I'm startled awake by a sharp knocking at my door. I look around me and Ayane's room groggily with a loud yawn and slowly pull myself from my warm covers.

"I'm comin', hold up," I say and stretch my arms over my head. After Ayane escorted me to my room, I went straight to the bathroom to brush my teeth. It felt great to finally rid my mouth of that putrid odor and afterwards I decided to go ahead and take a quick shower as well to get the full affect of cleanliness. When I stripped and tossed my ninja garb into the dirty clothes hamper, Ayane came in and picked it up saying she would go ahead and wash a load and left our room entirely. Following my shower, I adorned something more casual to unwind in, a light aqua pair of track shorts and a snug black cami. I left my hair down and loose for some reason after I dried and combed through it. Then I lied down and reached under my pillow for Jay's small tape recorder, well I guess it's mine now since he let me have it, but I re-winded it and let it play from the very beginning as I always did. My new indulgence I delved in whenever I wanted to relax. Listening to Cole sing. As soon as he would begin, blood would rush to my cheeks then slowly but surely spread throughout my body, making my heart pound in yearning. His voice is too high to be a bass and too deep to be a soprano. No, his perfect pitch is indisputably alto. I snuggled myself under the covers and pressed the device close to my ear, so it would provide the accurate illusion of him whispering melodic words of love and adoration to me and _only_ to me. Closing my eyes I let his voice become my lullaby, but before sleep claimed me I wondered if someday I would get to hear him live and in concert and I would be his only audience.

Ever since I've been listening to this before I go to sleep, I've haven't had one nightmare although, something tells me it's not the recording's doing.

_Lord Leviathan, you are being awfully merciful as of late…Oh! This must be the person who's delivering the teeth! I should get started crafting the necklace right away!_

When I open the door, the last person I thought who would want to see me was standing in front of me.

"Ebony…"

She holds out a little black sack for me to take which I do.

"I'm a courier, remember?" She says and I manage a small grin. "Zane wanted me to inform you that he already cleaned and sanitized them thoroughly. All that's left is up to your craftsmanship."

"Thanks, Ebony…" I say and she turns to leave, but I stop her. "Wait, can you come in for a sec? I want to talk to you."

Ebony turns back around and holds my gaze for a moment before stepping inside. I close the door behind her. I clear my throat and peek inside the sack to check out how many teeth I've got to work with.

_Twelve, perfect. With the size of the chain I have they'll be able to circle it completely._

I glance back up at Ebony to meet her gaze once more. Her face matches Zane's in its stoicism and her one visible russet garnet eye stares at me nonchalantly.

I have to ask, "Are you still angry about last night?"

She releases a heavy sigh. "No, I've had time to think and…*sigh* Listen, I was more upset with Ayane's predicament than at you, but regardless it came out that way. I'm sorry. Only, I don't want to see Ayane in any more pain than she already is. I want to help her and I want to do it in a way that lacks stress."

"And my way is stressful? I have compassion Ebony and I want to help our sister just as much as you do," I counter and walk the small distance back to my bed. I sit down and open the drawer of my nightstand to retrieve my work kit and the rectangular-shaped leather box that housed the platinum necklace I bought for Cole.

"I know you do, however given Ayane's personality and character, yes your way is stressful, Sasha," she replies and I frown.

"Did you find the answer in your books?"

"No…" she breathes regrettably and takes a seat on Ayane's bed. "I thought I could and I searched all night, but the cure eludes me."

"Then the next step would be-?" I press and spread the teeth out on my bed and gather twelve silver caps. The fangs are much too sharp and I don't want them pricking his skin, so I'll have to blunt them.

She shrugs. "We do things Nya's way I suppose."

I take my toughest metal filer and begin to dull the first fang. Thankfully, the crusted diamond shards plague the widened top half and not the lower point. Ivory isn't too tough to chisel, but I still have to use sufficient force to shape the point into a smooth curve.

"And what exactly is Nya's way besides the three of us gathering to confront Ayane?" I ask.

The door suddenly opens and Nya herself steps through wearing a delighted and knowing grin.

"My way is the most tender and non-philosophical approach which will prove to be the most effective when dealing with our lovable sister."

She closes the door with the back of her foot and continues with the same sure grin. "To tell the truth, I'm surprised at you Sasha. The two of us have dealt with an emotionally distraught Ayane before, remember?"

I pause in my filing and try to think back, that's when it hits me. The incident when Zane revealed himself to be an android to Ayane and the miserable state she was in when Nya and I found her. I remember how gentle I was with her, rubbing comforting circles on her back while Nya stroked her hair. I treated her as if she was a blood relative…the same way I would treat Sophia whenever she was upset. When I began to prod her with logic and reason about her feelings for Zane, it was Nya who enlightened me to try a much more…prolific approach by letting Ayane accrue her emotions and reach a decision herself.

I look over at Nya then back down at my work. I feel slightly ashamed that I forgot something so crucial.

"Yes, I remember…now," I admit quietly and Nya hums, clearly satisfied.

"Ebony, we go to her as her sisters. Nothing more and nothing less, we simply give her the care and understanding she needs and let her reflect on how her past greatly differs from the present. Zane is with her now, not Itsuki and she knows in her heart that he would never cheat on her. His love for her is much too great. And we all know Ayane's modesty is astounding, she doesn't realize just how much she's grown and improved. But, I bet when she sets foot back home everyone is going to see it. Maybe even the two-timing goat!" She finishes with a laugh and Ebony and I join her.

My soul seems a bit at peace now that we have an appropriate course of action. It troubles me when I see Ayane's tears of sorrow, the anger I feel manifests into a desperate need to correct her problems. I think she is figuratively like the sun. For when she smiles and laughs, her warmth and good nature spreads so that everyone can feel it, but when her cheeriness disappears and gloom takes it place. It causes discord and anxiety for the surrounding populace.

_Shine…yeah…she's our sister of the sun._

"When shall we have the intervention?" Ebony questions and I answer her, finishing another tooth and picking up another.

"How about tonight after dinner? We can corner her here afterwards. The festival starts in a matter of weeks, so let's not doddle."

"Agreed," Nya chimes in with enthusiasm, but suddenly her voice curves into a thoughtful undertone. "I wonder though…if we were this upset about learning of Ayane's past…how do you think Zane will react? That is if Ayane chooses to tell him."

_Good question…_

"Let's not speculate about the unknown, we should concentrate on the mental stability of Ayane first. If the outcome leads to her revealing her past heartbreak to Zane then that occurrence will be between them alone," Ebony states and Nya and I agree not to get involved with the two about that certain matter.

I finish dulling the final fang and set it down with the others.

_I'll have Cole's present completed by the end of tonight, _I then smirk deviously as my mind settles on the lowlife that hurt Ayane. _Itsuki…hehehe…you better hope Zane doesn't come for you, but if he does…you'll receive far worse than detrimental injuries. It will be a cold day in hell for you._

* * *

**OK! Chapter two is complete. I know Sasha had way more screen time than Cole in this one, but I wanted everyone to really get a feel for the development of her character since the last time she was the center of attention was way back in "Dance with the Earth" which was decades ago it feels like. The majority of the next chapter will belong to Cole though so no worries! Also, those of you who haven't yet please take a gander at my newest poll on my profile page and cast a vote. That way I can plan accordingly if Nagendra and Tetra (Rocky) will be reunited or not along with all the other dragons of course! I'm feeling pretty good so I'll begin the next chapter right away. Oh and quick note to WristWriting: I hope you didn't mind me changing your OC's name to Itsuki instead of Kaito…I really didn't want the name "Kai" in it so…yeah. I kept your other OC's name, Leah, though! I really like that name. Everyone will get a chance to see these two OCs of yours next short story, so everyone look forward to that!**

**The rest of the day will go on unmentioned since I really want to move this story along. So no dinner scene and no sister intervention with Ayane, however you all will find out what happened in "Praise Amaterasu". **

**Credit goes to Crystal Persian for suggesting the Kunoichi watch some Disney Princess movies! **

**Please read and review! **


	3. Execution and Destination

**Alright! Here we are on the next chapter! I'm happy to say that this story is progressing smoothly and only two chapters remain. There are a few mistakes that I couldn't fix for some reason or other and those lay in the Italian dialogue. The accents wouldn't carry over from the MS document, so I'll have to adjust those later. Thank you all very much for your reviews, I'm sorry I couldn't respond accordingly since I've been tied up with the convoluted mess that is my glorious life. But, know that I appreciate you all tremendously. **

**Also on a side note to guest reviewer Nya909, I'm sorry but I won't be able to write your requests. I simply won't have the time to with all the other things I have planned. I can only handle so much. Furthermore, I don't write SMUT. If you're looking for straight-up sex scenes then you'll have to look somewhere else. I intend for my lemons to be refreshing and beautiful not dirty and foul. "Zane's Room" was the tip of the iceberg on how I want two lovers to interact while remaining in character. In my personal opinion, the joining of two bodies is the joining of two souls. Sex can be a beautiful occurrence and that is what I intend to depict. The miracle of procreation is not to be sullied or treated frivolously, so if my style of writing is not what you want then by all means, you don't have to read it. I hope you understand and don't take it as me being mean or whatnot. One of things that I wish to achieve with my stories is to stir the senses into enthrallment. ;)**

**Those of you who are wondering, the lemon won't occur until the final chapter and I'll be sure to leave a warning beforehand for any of you who wish to skip it. Now enough with my drabbling!**

**Please read and enjoy!**

* * *

Careful Planning

(Cole's POV)

My subconscious pricked at my spirit, urging me to wake up and greet the new dawn. I moan and open my eyes slowly and groggily stare at the red line of numbers displayed on my alarm clock…5:30 A.M….as always. Not sure why I even bother to have the thing really. I've been waking up at the same time every morning since I begun training to be a ninja with my brothers. It's second nature now.

The palest of blues sifts through my blinds and dapples my room in a faint light. I peel back my comforter as I sit up and run my hand languidly through my hair. I lick my lips with a smile.

_This is it. Today's the day. _I glance back over at my clock again. _Everything flows through this ship like clockwork. I have forty-five minutes to get ready; Sasha will be heading towards the kitchen by then to prepare Howard and Lilia's breakfast. _

I slip out of bed with excitement and head for my bathroom, grabbing my PMS along the way. While I'm getting ready I want to do a quick service count and also make sure everyone is up. I put a slab of toothpaste on my toothbrush and insert it into my mouth, letting it hang for a sec while I hit the red button.

Soon, Kai's drowsy morning voice filters through the speaker. (Uhhh…I'm up, bro! I'm up! And I'll be ready! Damn…I didn't think I'd ever live to see the day when Mr. Composure would lose his cool.)

Despite proceeding in the task to brush my teeth, I get my reply out to him. "I'm not losing my cool, man," I say over a mouthful of toothpaste, "I just want to make sure—"

(Everything goes according to plan.) He finishes with a crackly chuckle and clears his throat. I roll my eyes. I just know he's smirking right now. (Listen, to save you a little time, Lloyd completed his task in planting the rose last night. I saw him do it. All you need to do is make contact with Jay and Zane. Good luck again, bro. Let's make this thing happen!)

I smile appreciatively, if there's anything Kai is really good at, it's rallying. "Thanks, Kai," I say and cut the connection. I finish brushing my teeth and using my mouthwash before calling Jay. I have to pull his invention away from my ear when he yells into it.

(Land ho! Quatre Falls in on the horizon! We should be docking in exactly eight minutes!)

Once the ringing in my ear subsides, I bring my PMS back up to it. "Glad to hear you're just as fired-up as me about this day, Jay," I remark good-naturedly and stroll over to the other side of my bathroom to turn the tap for the hot water to start. _Sigh, gotta love a nice hot shower to start the day. _

I hear the sound of gales buffing the air in the background and realize that he must be outside on deck.

(Hey, whatever gets you off this ship for a few days is cool with me.) He replies in a much more appreciated subdued tone. Balancing the PMS on my shoulder, I begin to unbutton my pajama top.

"Couldn't agree more," I admit truthfully while shrugging off the black material. I grasp the device again before pulling my shower curtain back. "But, you and I both know the true reason why you want me gone," I grin, the steam from the heated water already shrouding my bathroom in a thin mist. "For the last couple of years you've always given me my birthday present last because—"

(Because you gotta save the best for last, right?)

"_Because_," I repeat, "you've always forgotten my birthday. Rushing out on the day of to go grab me something, what was last year's gift again? Oh right…a black T-shirt with "Bossman" printed on the back. A _medium_ I might add."

(How was I supposed to know you were going to bust out of it like the Incredible Hulk?)

"Well, given the fact that _you're_ not even a medium and I'm bigger than you should've given you some indication," I laugh, jerking down my bottoms with one hand and flinging them away with my foot.

Jay makes a half-laugh, half-indignant sound from the back of his throat. (Hey, don't blame me because the store was out of size _"gorilla"_ and c'mon I had a back up gift, didn't I?)

"Sure did," I say lightly and finally step under the hot spray of my shower. "My _Easy-Bake Oven, _how could I forget?"

(Ah-ha! Something you _really _needed, right? Do you still have it by the way?)

"Of course, I kept all of my gifts even the unorthodox ones…mainly yours," I tease and he chuckles. Pulling my curtain close, I run a hand through my now thoroughly soaked locks and continue. "Listen Jay, I wasn't going to give you grief for this because well…this year has been a rather _unpleasant _time for all of us so far. A lot has happened."

Jay is quiet as am I. Remembering the unexpected death of our Sensei last month at the jaws of the Great Devourer…the memory is so fresh that I can still see the melancholic expression on his face as he restrained Pythor from behind with his bamboo stick, so the contemptible python could witness the catastrophic consequences of his foolish action. He and the despicable serpent king disappearing from view completely as the massive snake launched down and swallowed them both whole.

(I'd say our experiences had been more than just _unpleasant_, Cole.) He says at last and I nod even though he can't see the gesture. (Sensei is still with us, we all know that and he wouldn't want us grieving anymore than we have, so…let's not, okay soon-to-be-birthday-boy?)

I grin sadly, "Yeah."

(Lucky bastard, you'll get to celebrate your birthday _**twice**_! No one's ever had that luxury! Get ready _storebror _(big brother) and I'll talk to you later.)

"Yeah," I say again and end the call. I place my PMS in the shower caddy and really start to focus on cleansing myself. I can't allow my mind to drift too much, knowing that I'm short on time and still needed to contact Zane. Thus, I go through the motions on auto-pilot and finish in record time. Turning off the tap and stepping out of the shower, I undergo the conscientious task of drying my hair. The thickness and length of my hair is a bit frustrating at times since its density absorbs water like no other and my bangs always threaten to obstruct my vision. However, I can't bring myself to trim it down anymore than I have. Not to mention that Sasha loves to run her fingers through it.

_All the more reason to keep it the way it is._

I rub my head furiously with my pitch black towel then bring it around my waist. Taking heed to grab my PMS first, I exit the bathroom and am immediately welcomed by the drop of temperature. Undeterred, I flick on the light and press the white button next.

I balance the contraption on my shoulder like before as I rummage through my dresser drawers for some clothes. Zane answers almost immediately.

(Since I am positive no one has yet, let me be the first to say, happy birthday, Cole. We will not see you on the day of your twentieth year, but make no mistake that we will celebrate when you and Sasha return.)

Another grin crosses my face at my best friend's words, "_Grazie _(thanks), _fratello_ on both accounts. I really appreciate yours and everyone else's cooperation even though it doesn't actually benefit anyone but me."

_If all goes well…_

(Cole, you are not only my best friend, but also my sworn brother. Your happiness and well-being are important to me. I will assist you in any way I can, as I am sure you would do the same for me. No qualms have been discussed in regards to your endeavor. We are all happy to help.)

"_Grazie," _I repeat.

My eyes widen in amazement when he replies back fluently, (_Siete i benvenuti._) **(You are most welcome.) **

Getting over my shock, I slip on my black cargo pants over my boxers. I know this is Zane, but still…could he really be fluent in Italian? I decide to find out.

"_Quanto tempo ho lasciato?" _(How much time do I have left?)

(_Solo dodici punti di sei minuti, quindi vi prego di fare in fretta. Lo vi comunicheremo ovviamente sul momento preciso in cui Chi di Sasha passa dalla mia porta. Pianificare attentamente il vostro tempismo._) **(Only twelve point six minutes, so I implore you to make haste. I will notify you of course on the precise moment when Sasha's Chi passes by my door. Plan your timing carefully.)**

_Unbelievable!_

I press the speaker button and set my PMS down on my bed. _"Capito. Sono quasi pronto. Sei incredibile Zane, quante lingue parli adesso?"_ (Got it. I'm almost ready. You're incredible Zane, how many languages do you speak now?) I inquire and swiftly pull my grey undershirt over my head and tuck it in.

(_Con la mia piu recente e italiano, sei ora: russo, giapponese, inglese, francese e mandarino. Devo ancora imparare a padroneggiare la lingua native di Jay, norvegese…Ah, se posso, fratello? Ho ancora una volta bisogno del vostro consiglio._) **(With my most recent being Italian, six now: Russian, Japanese, English, French, and Mandarin. I have yet to master Jay's native tongue, Norwegian…Ah, if I may, brother? I once again need your counsel.)**

I finish buckling my belt, but halt in putting on my over shirt at the sound of Zane's unusually troubled voice. And the fact that he's still speaking Italian sends my mind hurling back to my time with Dante and how we would usually converse in our mother's language when either of us was fraught with worry or distress. I shake my head quickly to try to dispel the haunting voice of my younger sibling and try to focus on Zane's. When I speak, I had intended to revert back to English as to banish the woe of the past, but…I can't. Another brother needs me.

"_Cosa c`e di sbagliato con te, fratello?" _(What's wrong with you, brother?) I asked after I picked up the PMS and turned off the speaker.

He releases a quick sigh then gets right to the point. (_Non posso essere testimone di Jay al suo matrimonio._) **(I cannot be Jay's best man at his wedding.)**

This really surprises me. _"Perche no? Tu eri tutto perlui quando e venuto a voi."_ (Why not? You were all for it when he came to you.) Then a figurative light bulb clicks over my head, _"Aspetta, si tratta di Kai, non e vero?" _(Wait, this is about Kai, isn't it?)

Another sigh. (_Il senso di intrusion non lascera la mia anima. Non e il mio posto per stare accanto Jay il giorno piu importante della sua vita. Si tratta di Kai. So che lui ha detto che andava bene con la decisione di Jay pero, posso sentire il suo spirito addolorato. Il matrimonio di Jay significa piu de Kai che dare la sorella di distanza, si tratta di dare i suoi migliori auguri al suo migliore auguri al suo migliore amico. Non posso violare tale aspetto vitale, ma pur sapendo che, non voglio deludere Jay._) **(The sense of intrusion will not leave my soul. It is not my place to stand beside Jay on the most important day of his life. It is Kai's. I know he said he was fine with Jay's decision however, I can sense his saddened spirit. Jay's wedding means more to Kai than just giving his sister away, it's about giving his best wishes to his best friend. I cannot infringe upon that vital aspect, but even while knowing that, I don't want to disappoint Jay.)**

"_L'unico modo per deludere Jay e di non dirgli come ti senti sulla questione, Zane. Penso che tutti e tre si dovrebbe stare insieme e parlare di questo. Anche se il matrimonio e mesi di distanza, non si vuole mettere qualcosa di cosi importante in sordina, in mod oil piu presto possibile. Jay e un ragazzo ragionevole…nella maggior parte dei casi, quindi sono sicuro che capira. Quanto a Kai, lui probabilmente non ammetterlo, ma lui sara grato." _(The only way you'll disappoint Jay is by not telling him how you feel about the matter, Zane. I think all three of you should get together and talk about this. Even though the wedding is months away, you don't want to put something this important on the backburner, so the sooner the better. Jay's a reasonable guy…in most cases, so I'm sure he'll understand. As for Kai, he probably won't admit it, but he'll be grateful to you.)

(_Si, lei ha ragione. Faro come lei suggerisce, fratello. Come sempre, il tuo consiglio mi ha illuminato. Potrebbe non essere molto abile nel consolante, ma siete al counseling._) **(Yes, you are correct. I will do as you suggest, brother. As always, your advice has enlightened me. You may not be very adept at consoling, but you are at counseling.)**

I scratch the back of my head sheepishly. _"Lo so. I suck in quie momenti, finisco sempre per dire la cosa sbagliata."_ (I know. I suck during those moments; I always end up saying the wrong thing.)

As Zane chuckles, I finish getting dressed, throwing on my black short-sleeved button-up shirt but leaving it undone and scenting myself with a touch of cologne.

(_Forse l'unico modo per correggere la vostra inettitudine e quello di-_) **(Perhaps the only way to rectify your ineptitude is to-)**

Zane stops short and falls silent. I wait a few moments and adorn my feet in a pair of socks and my new black and silver Jordan's.

(Sasha has just passed by my door. Good luck on your mission objective, Cole.) He informs me after his brief pause.

"Alright, see ya, Zane." I clip my PMS to my belt and stroll on over to the door. I grab my wallet off the dresser and pocket it securely, fastening the elongated platinum chain to one of the loops of my pants. My heart and mind are calm as I dawdle a little longer and equip myself with my Scythe of Quakes and run a comb through my hair.

_Executing Operation: Reconciliation!_

I slink out of my room quietly and travel down the hall towards the dining room. From the corner, I can hear Sasha poking around in the kitchen. Stepping quickly, I align myself on the wall adjacent to the double doors and cautiously lean forward to spy through the circle glass window.

Still sauntering around in those sexy shorts and tight black top, Sasha had just put the ducks' plethora of grapes on the cutting board and now she was steadily reaching up to open the overhead cabinet for their bag of barley. I keep my eyes trained on the target and watch as the crimson rose falls promptly from its hiding spot and lands on the counter. I can see her profile clearly; her brow creases in stupefied wonder and her lips part to mouth a question. She picks up the rose and handles it as if it were a piece of precious crystal, her fingers caressing the blood petals delicately. A smile lights her face.

I only have a moment to react when she suddenly presses her nose to the flower and inhales. With her eyes already closed, the rest of her body goes limp and she begins to crumble to the floor. I slam open the door and sprint the short distance to her in order to catch her before her head collides with the side of the island.

_Good, I have procured the target. On to the next phase…_

With one hand I press the speaker button on my PMS, "I got her!" I yell and carefully lift her up, placing my hand under her knees for balance. When I round the corner from the dining room, Kai is coming up to me with our two bags with Ayane trailing close behind him.

"You put it in, right Ayane?" He questions and the blond nods.

"Yeah, _everything_ is in there now," she replies and the three of us exit the Bounty to meet with all the others on the deck. The sky is dark and heavily clouded. A downpour was on its way and powerful winds would accompany it. Ebony and Nya approach me with a blanket and together we cocoon Sasha's body protectively into it.

"The storm was meant to just pass over us, but unfortunately it'll be heading in the same direction you'll be traveling in, so stay safe," Nya cautions then gazes at Sasha with a hefty degree of fondness. "I wish I could be there to see the look on her face when she sees her hometown and family." Her eyes lift to mine, "I believe it'll be good for her and you, meeting the family and all."

"Take care of our beloved sister and leader, Cole," Ebony states sincerely and Ayane touches my shoulder.

"The sky will be fair and cloudless for the duration of your stay in Poseidonia, persevere until then. I hope everything goes well for you, Cole. Have fun, okay?"

I smile at the Kunoichi before me, but before I can say anything, Jay intervenes.

"C'mon Winnie the Pooh, get the hell out the honey tree!" He shouts and I glance his way just in time to see Kai jump over the railings onto the shore. The fierce gales tousle through my hair fiercely and I readjust the blanket around Sasha to make sure she's kept warm.

"Jay is correct, Cole. The tides are beginning to sway us and you have a schedule to keep. You must make good time," Zane says and I nod.

"We'll have a party when you get back, Cole. Take care," Lloyd puts in, wearing a small smile.

"Right, see you guys in three days and thanks again!"

I then turn and leap over the railings myself and join Kai on solid ground. When I summon my Tread Assault, I immediately pull the lever that opens the hidden compartment above the thrusters. After a few minutes, I hear Kai slam it shut and I start the engine.

"Poseidonia, here we come!"

I step on the gas and speed off heading for the grassy plateaus beyond Quatre Falls. My fingers glide over the dashboard to regulate the temperature as soon as the first few droplets of rain hit the windshield. I power on my GPS as well.

"TA, initiate preprogrammed destination."

"_Request acknowledged. Preprogrammed destination is Poseidonia, avoiding highways and civilian routes."_

A holographic visualization of the surrounding terrain materializes on my right. Thanks to Jay, my GPS is now attached directly to TA's mainframe which in turn gives him a higher functional indoctrination. "TA" is the AI housed inside my Tread Assault. He's been active ever since the Goddess of Wind, Sylph, gave us an upgrade to our firearms for our Spinjitzu Vehicles after Nya completed her Trial.

"_Estimated time to reach destination is five hours and fifty-four minutes. Traversing Daedra Lands, keep heading northwest for one hundred and thirty miles. Shall I initiate Semi-Auto Cruise Control?"_

"Actually, take over for a little while TA," I command and release the steering wheel to reposition Sasha more comfortably against me. Her serene face warms my heart as she snuggles closer, pressing her cheek against my collarbone. A light moan/sigh escapes her along with a mumble of my name. When she becomes still once more, I give a lingering kiss to her forehead and run my fingers through her exotic red tresses. Her scent always intoxicates me, that subtle combination of jasmine and citrus must have some sort of enchanting properties or something. I can't seem to get enough; it's like an olfactory addiction.

The dreary grayish gloom of the outside weather doesn't affect how relaxed and content I feel. The soft tap of water upon glass is accompanied by the low growl of TA, creating a natural therapeutic serenity to my soul. It's tempting to steal a kiss when her lips are this close, but I dare not to. It's been so many weeks since our last consensual deep kiss. She can't still be as upset as she was when the incident first occurred. I know she isn't. This getaway will serve as the foundation for our reconciliation. I admit it was wrong to eavesdrop, but she has to understand that I had good intentions. By offering my protection she thinks I'm negating her own strength. Well, she's wrong. I know how strong she is. She proves it to me every day, on and off the battlefield. However, there are just some things that I refuse to let her handle alone…and her latest premonition is one of them.

_I am your rock. I am your support. Use me, lean on me. Let me be the one you come to for every trouble that plagues your heart. We've been together long enough for you to know how much I truly love you._

Sasha's breathing remains deep and even as she continued to slumber, blissfully unaware of her surroundings and my plans for her. Her long dark lashes lay undisturbed atop her cheeks and her tongue unsuspectingly darts out to moisten her full cream-colored lips.

"Do you know exactly how long it's been since we've been together, Sasha?" I ask, knowing she couldn't answer. Although, I know she can hear me if only bits and pieces. I just feel in the mood to talk to her. "By my birthday it would be exactly half a year…six whole months."

I smile and look ahead, despite it being relatively still morning, the sky is a dark grey and large drops of rain pelt the windshield in a punishing frenzy. TA had activated his headlights and wipers to aid in visibility and from the looks of the holographic navigator…we still have a long way to go.

Not that I mind…

I return my attention to Sasha, "You remember your birthday, _amore_? And what…almost happened between us? Man, what an unforgettable night that was…"

* * *

_**(Flashback, February 17**__**th**__**)**_

_**I am trying my damndest not to stare, but…but…**_

"_**Goodness Cole, I see you eyeing my plate. If you want to try some all you have to do is ask…here."**_

_**Sasha dips her spoon into her lobster bisque to gather a hearty dollop and leans forward slightly to offer it to me.**_

"_**Careful now, it's hot," she whispers and I swallow with effort. It was a great cover-up especially if I didn't want to get knocked out, but Sasha's food was not where my eyes were…Even now, her position…my eyes are locked on the lovely swell of her breasts. They're just so…large and…perceptible. Her long sea foam-colored dress is backless and the only thing holding it up is the thick satin tie around her neck. Her smooth caramel skin is just glowing under the fluorescent lights…begging to be touched…caressed…worshipped. **_

_**I blink and lift my eyes to hers as she waits patiently for me to take the offered food. I manage to maintain eye contact while my lips close around her spoon and I even produce a flirtatious wink to provide more of a convincing cover. The platinum irises shine charmingly as she laughs outright and sits back in her seat to continue eating her meal. **_

_**I savor the deliciousness in my mouth a moment more before swallowing and wiping my mouth with a napkin. I keep the cloth in place a little longer than necessary to make sure I wasn't having another nosebleed which thankfully after taking a peek, I'm not. I fight down the blush that threatens to come up with controlled discipline, knowing that months ago I wouldn't have been able to. **_

"_**This place is so beautiful…" Sasha sighs as her gaze sweeps the outdoor restaurant. I had decided to take her off the coastline of Bluebay. It wasn't her home of Poseidonia, but **__The Amorilla's Alcove __**was known for its fine seafood cuisine. Plus, the establishment is stationed near a private beach where we can take a stroll afterwards. This was all I could do for her on this special day and from the bedazzled look in her eyes, I know I did an awesome job.**_

_**The tropical cabana theme is indeed tasteful without being too extravagant. With each table lined and decorated with vibrantly-hued tablecloths and coconut candle centerpieces, it provided that rich with fun but romantic ambiance I wanted. **_

"_**So, um…Cole? How's your steak?"**_

_**My eyes come back to rest on Sasha's gorgeous face and see her smiling ever so gently at me. And despite her rather dark complexion…I can detect the redness on her cheeks and what's even more encouraging is her body language. As if on cue, her hand reaches up and fiddles with Sophia's Pearl around her neck. **_

_**I'm affected by her however…she's also affected by me. **_

_**I smile and reach over to grasp her free hand in mine. "It's perfect, but it's much too big even for someone with my appetite. I guess I'll have to get a to-go box."**_

"_**Yeah, I'm full too and I still have so much left. Let's do that."**_

_**Suddenly the lights cool down to a nice dim and the band on the miniature stage begins to play a slow jam. The saxophone immediately catches my appeal and obviously Sasha's as well. **_

"_**C'mon," I beckon and begin to rise with her hand still firmly in mine, "Let's dance."**_

_**More couples follow our lead and join us on the dance floor. I twirl Sasha once then bring her body close to mine, my hands comfortably around her waist. This is Sasha's domain, more so than mine. Her hips roll with the music, expertly finding the beat as her hands glide up my chest and secure themselves on the back of my neck. She moves again in confidence and I follow, my hands sliding up to finally touch the silky smooth exposure of her back. We move in harmonized unison.**_

_**I lick my lips hungrily as she closes her eyes, losing herself to the music. It's just me and her on this dance floor…we are the only ones in existence. I've been letting her lead and move her body the way she wanted, but now…it's my turn. Grinning, I take her hand and twirl her again, but this time I pull her back to me while her back is turned, subsequently hugging her from behind. I hear the quick intake of breath when her curves mold against my body. I press my face to the side of her hair and inhale the sweet citrus scent laced in the sea of crimson before dipping my chin so my lips are aligned with a caramel ear. **_

"_**Dance, **__amore__**," I whisper seductively, "dance."**_

"_**Hmm…as you wish, **__bonito__**."**_

_**Our hips are aligned perfectly when Sasha starts to roll hers, creating an erotic dance that causes both of us to moan in the beginnings of ecstasy. My arms wrap around her tighter, my head moves lower over her shoulder to place a single kiss to her neck. I can feel her reach back and up to bury a hand in my hair. **_

_**How long we dance, I'm not sure. The music could've stopped long ago, but neither of us would've noticed. All I know is that I don't want this night to end.**_

"_**Cole…let's go take that walk. I'm…feeling a bit faint."**_

_**We instantly stop moving and I turn her around. Her face is beautifully flushed although her eyes are a bit glassy. "Are you okay?" I ask worriedly and touch her cheek. **_

_**She shudders. "Yeah…can we go?" **_

"_**Sure, let's go," I glance around, taking note of the multitude of swaying bodies surrounding us. Each couple lost in their own little world just as we were. I take Sasha's hand and calmly lead us back to our table where thankfully our waiter is nearby. I get his attention and ask him to pack the rest of our food to go. I slip him a twenty as a tip which he beams at and he directs us to the boardwalk leading to a secluded section of the beach. **_

"_**Our computer shows that you chose to pay for everything beforehand Mr. Belmonte, so when you are ready to leave your food will be waiting near the exit. Enjoy your night of enchantment, you two," he says and Sasha and I thank him before setting out across the boardwalk. **_

_**The night air is soothing and warm with just enough wind to cool our heated bodies. As soon as our feet touch the sand, Sasha takes off her sandals and sighs in contentment. **_

"_**A night of enchantment indeed," she exhales and leans against me. I wrap my arm around her shoulders in response. "Cole, I can't think of a better birthday than this. Thank you so much."**_

_**I smile. "You say that like the night is over…look up," I direct and she tilts her head.**_

"_**Oh…the stars…" she breathes. The heavens are littered with billons of them tonight each twinkling with their own spark of light and purpose. I can already see some of the ones I know.**_

"_**You know of celestial navigation, right? Sensei Wu taught us that there are fifty-eight selected navigational stars that we can use if we ever lose our way during the night. And that right there is the most famous navigational star, Polaris."**_

_**We continue to venture on, going further and further away from the boardwalk and **__The Amorilla's Alcove__**. All the while, I point out two of my most preferred stars.**_

"_**See that big bright one right there? That's Capella, one of the brightest northern stars and the other is…" I search the heavens meticulously until I find another large star, "right there. That's Vega. Those two are my favorite." **_

"_**Really? Why?" Sasha asks, looking up at me and I marvel at the radiance of those eyes of soft rain. **_

"_**Because…they represent my father and brother. When my dad would go away on tour with his quartet, Dante and I would always call to see how he was doing and…at night dad would always say, "Look under Capella, I'm right there," and it just stuck with me. My brother is Vega because…well, because just like dad he has the natural gift of music. It's only fitting that he would be another bright star."**_

"_**But, what about your star, Cole?" She questions next and we stop walking. I frown and look out over the ocean. The tides come in teasingly only to retreat a second later then repeat their lighthearted cycle. **_

"_**I don't know," I finally get out. "I never thought of myself as a star."**_

_**Sasha's fingertips touch my face and she guides my gaze to meet hers. "But you are one," she says confidently. "Maybe you should consider yourself that star that everyone relies upon. The North Star. The always dependable Polaris. No matter where you are in the world you can always see him. He's always there for you."**_

_**My hands find her waist again and bring her closer. "Me? The great North Star, Polaris? You don't think that's a little much?"**_

"_**Considering who you are…no," she says with unwavering certitude and I inch my face closer to hers. **_

"_**We need to find you a star to identify with," I whisper, but she shakes her head.**_

"_**No, I don't need to be one. As long as I can look to you when I need you, I am content," her nose brushes mine. "I want to cherish you. I want to love you."**_

"_**Sasha…"**_

_**Our lips brush innocently, but I'm far from satiated. Again and again I kiss her and each one I hold longer than the last. My heartbeat increases in tempo when her arms encircle my neck and she presses herself firmly up against me. Oh yeah…I can feel those large supple breasts wonderfully now. My hands move of their own volition, finding their way back to the rich smoothness of skin.**_

_**We pull apart slowly and unexpectedly she steps away. We are under the arc of a large promontory and the overshadowing darkness causes Sasha's features to ingeniously conceal themselves. My eyes follow her every move as she continues to retreat from me. Her hand reaches up over her head to remove the crossed lacquered chopsticks from her hair one by one and carelessly drops them to waiting sand. I can still see her eyes despite the darkness and they inhibit a mischievous glint as she removes the band that bound her hair. The result is breathtaking. The wind plays with her long blood-red tresses even after her back connects with the smooth side of the promontory. The way she's looking at me, a look that I can only interpret as "come hither…" makes me more self-aware of the upcoming step in our relationship. A step I'm ready for.**_

_Sasha, are you ready too? Are you ready to give yourself to me…completely?_

_**It only takes a few steps for me to reach her. And when I do, her hand lifts to smooth my bangs away from obstructing my sight. That same hand I take in mine and interlace our fingers. My eyes search the beauty of her face.**_

_**She's smiling and blushing. **_

_**My brow connects with hers and when our lips are just centimeters apart, I have to say:**_

"_**Sasha, it would mean the world to me if you would say it. Tell me you are ready."**_

_**Her breath tickles my face as she replies softly, "Never have I loved anybody with such passion. I would do anything for you, Cole. Please, make me yours. Make me your one and only. I am ready to commit myself entirely to you."**_

_**Is my body shaking? I feel like a powerful seismic shock has taken root inside my soul and was quaking endlessly. Our next kiss is passionately ravenous. Her words have set me off and I can't stop myself from tasting her. We moan simultaneously and Sasha whimpers with want when I reach through the slit of her dress to grasp her thigh and lift it. Obeying my silent command, she keeps herself steady as I grind myself between her legs. The words she spoke repeats in my head like an exquisite mantra, a mantra of eternal devotion. To me.**_

_Never have I loved anybody with such passion…_

_**I hiss when she takes the offensive, her fingers working on the buttons of my shirt and kissing a trail up my neck. Her hands are now in my hair and I initiate another deep and wet kiss.**_

_I would do anything for you, Cole…_

_Please make me yours…_

_Make me your one and only…_

_**A melody of exhilarated gasps and pants emits from us. Gods how I want to feel more of her, tonight I will do it. I will make Sasha indefinitely mine, which means…this dress has got to go.**_

_I am ready to commit myself entirely to you…_

_**My heart is thundering as my hands move to that satin tie around her neck and I give one particularly hard thrust to her pelvis which in turn causes her to cry out in jubilation. I regain some of my composure when the knot begins to unravel and pull back, wanting to finally feast my eyes on the twin caramel globes that have been the focal point of most of my fantasies with Sasha. Just as I begin to peel down her dress, my senses are immediately bombarded by an unwanted intrusion. My body freezes and I extend my senses further and concentrate.**_

"_**Haa…C-Cole…?" Sasha's breathless voice calls to me, but the feeling of incoming invaders still nags at my senses. I frown and quickly scoop Sasha up in my arms and retreat into the far recesses of the promontory we are under until we are enveloped in complete darkness. **_

_**Not five seconds later, I hear the laughter of another couple, a man and a woman. They soon come into view and frolic merrily on the shoreline, the man taking the woman in his arms and spinning her around. **_

_**I groan in dismay, my body screams at me to relieve the pressure that has been built up, but…**_

"_**C'mon Catherine, we've never done it on a beach. Let's do it now, it'll be just like the movies."**_

_**The man had put the woman down and was holding her close. The woman giggled.**_

"_**Well, this beach is private and…it would be a nice requiem for our fourth year anniversary. Let's make this memorable, Justin."**_

_**When they began to kiss and gradually shed their clothes, I instantly turn away in an irate huff. **_

_Dammit all!_

"_**Oh…wow," Sasha snickers and pushes on my chest to get me to back away and I do with her following me. We make our way to the other side of the expansive promontory and I turn to her. Her hair was still down, but she was retying the knot on her dress.**_

_No, no, no!_

_**I reach for her hand quickly. "Sasha, we can still—I mean we can find another…uh…"**_

_**Her face flushes considerably and she looks away. The moment had come and gone, she'd lost her nerve. Our night of enchantment has been cut short…all thanks to Justin and Catherine and their unwelcomed interference.**_

"_**Maybe…it's just not our time yet," she says quietly and leans up to give me a heartfelt kiss. Her hands caress my exposed chest as she settles back on her feet. "But, it will happen and when it does it'll be wonderful." She then takes my hand, "Let's go home, Cole."**_

_**I can say nothing else as we take the long way back to the restaurant although I do have one thought.**_

_Justin, Catherine I sincerely hope you two get swept up into the waves and carried out to sea._

_**(End Flashback)**_

* * *

"It was an unfortunate turn of events to an otherwise perfect night and on the entire drive back home I let TA steer. I didn't want to come off my high and I knew you didn't either, so we kissed and teased each other with touches on the way back. You were in my lap just as you are now and you marked my neck and I returned the favor."

I peer down at the sleeping beauty ever still and quiet. "When will our time come, Sasha?" I ask seriously, but then shake my head. "I'm not in a rush or anything, but I was ready then and I'm ready now."

I focus ahead once more into the thundering dreariness. "Your words were so profound. If I didn't know any better I'd take it you were trying to propose to _me_. Wishful thinking, huh?" I chuckle sardonically.

"No, but seriously. I felt something…almost as if my element was reacting. I wonder if you felt anything similar. Hm?"

The excessive beeping from my PMS distracts my attention. Glancing down, I unclip it from my belt and look at the screen. I instantly recognize the number and hurriedly attach the PMS to my dashboard.

"TA, connect Bluetooth earpiece."

"_Request acknowledged. Connecting Bluetooth device from PMS to user, initiating now."_

I can feel the shift of change from my headrest as a tiny mechanical limb extends and fastens my earpiece onto my ear. Once it retracts I immediately hit the button to patch the call through.

"Ms. Graciano!" I greet excitedly.

(Cole sugah, how are you this fine and rainy day!) Sasha's mother reciprocates with just as much zest and I laugh.

"I'm doing great, thanks."

(That's good to hear and know that I got your message yesterday. Didn't I tell you the week prior that you and my lil' habanera can come whenever?)

I touch the back of my head reflexively. "Well yeah, but that was last week. I'd hate for us to show up unexpectedly and be an imposition."

(Imposition?! Sugah, with the gifts you sent you can visit anytime of the year!)

This perks me up. "You got them?"

(Yep, yesterday afternoon. Thanks so much, honey. I haven't had one of those _Edible Arrangements _fruit bouquets in years! I intend to keep mine for awhile, but Sophia devoured hers. I swear that lil' thang can eat!)

I laugh again. It's easy to tell where Sasha gets her sass from and Sophia's the same way.

(So you two are on your way now then, right?)

"Yes, ma'am. We are…" I check the map again and actually have to blink a few times in astonishment. We have long since traversed the Daedra Lands and were actually already in Poseidonia territory. "We are en route from the Orca Nooks. We should be in town within the hour."

(Excellent! You two will be just in time for lunch. Do you like fried catfish, Cole?)

My stomach growls at the mere mention of food. Having skipped breakfast, I was beyond famished and no doubt Sasha will be too when she wakes up. "Yeah, Sasha made some a few times and I enjoyed it. I don't mean to sound like a glutton, but I really hope you make a lot because Sasha and I didn't eat breakfast this morning."

(Oh you poor lil' dearies! Well, don't you worry honey; I'll make plenty so everyone will get their fill. Now, what does this hot rod of a car you drivin' look like? I want to have Sophia be on lookout so that she may open the door for you since you'll be carrying my baby.)

"Yes, ma'am and good call. My car is mostly black with some gold and looks like a standard off-road sports car. Trust me when I say, she'll know it's me as soon as I pull up."

(That flashy, eh?) She laughs. (But, you're ever so polite. It will be nice to finally connect the voice and name with a face. And my Sasha…I've missed my oldest baby terribly ever since she left for Ninjago City all those years ago. She said she'd found her purpose in life, her _true _calling. The Celestial placed us on this planet for a reason. We all have to answer when destiny calls, but…why is my baby's destiny so fraught with danger? She fights to protect us, but all I want is for her to be safe.)

"Sasha will _always_ be safe, Ms. Graciano," I say instantly. The deep sorrow in her voice in regards to her daughter's way of life beckons me to relay my own conviction to her. "I will protect her. No matter what the cost. I swear this to you."

(Cole…thank you. Sasha speaks very highly of you, y'know. She loves you very much.)

My heart thumps soundly as my gaze settles on my _amore_. "And I love her just as much if not even more so."

(I know you do, sugah. See you soon, okay?)

"Right, see you soon, Ms Graciano."

I end the call just as lightning pierces through the heavens and illuminate the surrounding area in a stunning display of raw power. A peninsula surrounded by water flickered in the dark distance. Truly a place where Leviathan worshippers inhabited, the impressively large coastal city stood unflinchingly against the heavy torrents of rain almost as if it welcomed them.

"We're almost there, Sasha," I whisper to her then grasp the steering wheel strongly. "TA, I can take it from here. Thanks for all of your hard work in keeping us safe through this storm."

Manual control is returned to me and the lights on my dashboard blink rapidly.

"_No biggie, it was my pleasure," _TA responds in an exact replication of my own voice with a computerized tone and I chuckle joyfully.

"Hey, that's my line!"

The lights dance about again as I shift my Spinjitzu Vehicle into top gear. I have to admit that I've become one helluva driver and speeding while avoiding obstacles is a cinch regardless of the weather. The engine growls ferociously when I make a sharp turn and drift onto actual asphalt road. I'll have to take this thoroughfare to get into the city.

"TA, input Graciano home address," I command and the holographic navigation screen on my right beeps to confirm my location.

"_Request acknowledged. Inputting new destination now…"_ I slow down and peer at the map from my peripheral. The latitude and longitude geographical design zooms in to the display the city from a bird's eye view as a route is forged. _"Shall I instruct you on how to proceed from your current position?"_

"No thanks, I can manage on my own. Initiate "sleep mode", TA. I won't be dispelling you while we're here."

"_Request acknowledged. Initiating "sleep mode", goodnight, Cole."_

"Yeah, sweet dreams, TA."

Once I cross over the city limits, I take in Posiedonia as it comes. Due to the weather, I had expected the streets to be bare or at least scarce, but that isn't the case at all. Active trolleys picked up passengers and cars sped about on their way. Some people braved the elements equipped with raincoats and umbrellas, smiling and laughing in contentment as the heavens raged war above them.

The proud people of water…

Both man and nature reigned supreme in this city. Damp but beautiful fauna hung over the sidewalks protected and barricaded by black bars. Tall trees with lavender petals neighbored multiple buildings and other man-made constructions. Even in this storm Poseidonia shined in its entire tropical splendor.

_I can't wait to see this place on a clear day. According to Ayane, the sun should show its face for the remainder of our stay here. _

Following the map, I soon merge onto a byroad overlooking the immense Poseidonia coastline. Multitudes of fisherman amble purposefully along the sturdy wooden docks, unloading gallons upon gallons of fish from their massive boats. Both men and women gathered to help unload their surplus and the dignified organization of their progress informs me that these people are the best of the best at what they do.

The byroad slopes lower until I'm on par with the beach itself. I'm mesmerized by the sheer girth of the scatter of palm trees when I realize the road is taking me to a residential area. I focus intently as deluxe beach houses come into view. Each one is reasonably spaced apart and two-stories high with a flight of stairs to ascend to reach the veranda.

I slow my Tread Assault to complete halt in front a particular beach house. The wooding painted a stark white while its roof contrasted with a familiar shade of crimson. A girl who was previously seated on a cushioned porch swing leaps to her feet and closes her phone. From the enthusiastic wave and holler of my name I can easily deduce that she is Sophia Graciano.

I sigh and glance down.

"Welcome home, Sasha."

* * *

**With it raining and such, Cole can't see Sophia all that well so her description will have to wait until the next chappie along with Aiesha's, Sasha's mother. I hope everyone enjoyed reading what happened on Sasha's 19****th**** birthday and looks forward to the upcoming chappie which will consist of the sweet family reunion between the Gracianos, an exciting tour of Poseidonia and a double date, and much more! Love to hear from you!**

**Please read and review!**


	4. Liberation and Rejuvenation

**Hello good readers! Thanks so much for the amazing reviews, words can't describe how great and energized they make me feel! Now, there are two things that I thought I should warn you about in regards to this chapter. 1) I changed Sasha's dad's name from Damiano to Miguel and 2) I altered Sophia's hair color from red to brown. Lol! Nothing big I know, but I thought I should let you all know regardless. I already took care of any inconsistencies in previous stories, so no worries there!**

**Please read and enjoy!**

* * *

Careful Planning

(Sasha's POV)

The all so soothing rumble of thunder…it's near. I roll over on my side to better hear the heaven's growl. The full-blown power of a downpour…heavy raindrops converging into streaming torrents…Oh, I can hear that too.

A sanctioned rhythm with unparalleled sublimity…

Some people would call this weather horrendous and would barricade themselves inside their homes until it ended. They rebuffed it never realizing how glorious it truly is. But not my people. We flourished in such conditions. Lord Leviathan blesses us with his bounty of the sea for the fish seem to bite the hardest during this weather.

He guides our proud and sturdy ships through the storms and every fisherman returns with mountains of delicacies and morsels from our Lord's gulley. Every fisherman but one…my father, Miguel Graciano. Why did the Hispaniola capsize? Why did Lord Leviathan forsake my father when he had been one of his most faithful followers? Will the same fate befall me? I am true to my Lord, but does he not love me enough to save me from death? Am I really nothing more than a sacrificial pawn to him?

Then to be saved…should I release my faith in Lord Leviathan?

I immediately banish the notion when a sharp stab of pain pierces my soul. A crude static in my head is all I can hear, the same white noise I heard when my connection with Lord Leviathan withered. I can't even call out to Waves…nor do I really want to. All I want is freedom. All I want is to see my family and home again.

_Poseidonia…_

I ignore the constant static my mind is engulfed in and reach out to once again hear the beautiful melody of the storm. I want to escape this dense fog obscuring my mentality and return to reality.

The room I'm in is consumed by a subtle gloom when I open my eyes. My mind tingles in recognition at my surroundings, but I'm also thoroughly confused.

_Impossible…this is…my room…back home…_

I sit up hearing the familiar groan of protest from my bed and dazedly scan my surroundings. Everything is here: From my deceased Spanish grandmother's antique cuckoo clock hanging on the wall to the towering white armoire with seashells embedded in it that daddy claimed to have pillaged from renegade pirates.

My final birthday gift from him. I can still hear his voice on that morning when he wheeled it into my room. How wide-eyed and ecstatic I was to hear his elaborate tale and momma standing in the doorway holding my baby sister shaking her head and smiling at daddy's antics.

"_Know that no multitudes of squint-eyed buccaneers are a match for Captain Miguel and the crew of the mighty Hispaniola! Who would've thought that a bunch of no-good pirates would have the perfect treasure to help my little water nymph grow up to become a beautiful mermaid…As time passes, this armoire will fill with your precious memoirs. Happy birthday, Sasha…" _

"Daddy…"

Thunder roars and a crash of lightning soon follows, illuminating my room greatly for a few precious seconds. My eyes fall on the white double doors leading out to my balcony and I bring myself to stand. The feel of my carpet is even the same, but am I really home or am I in some sort of cruel fantasy?

I grasp both knobs and open the doors gently. Strong gales push through my hair as thousand drops of rain pelt my face. I have to gasp when the rush of cold air chills me, but I know now that this is no dream.

I _am_ home.

I lift my hands up and concentrate on my element. The surrounding droplets spiral around my wrists and the water that soaked my body recedes to follow its brethren, forming a protective sphere around me.

_But, how did I get here? The last thing I remember is being on the Bounty in the kitchen readying Howard and Lilia's breakfast and then…that beautiful red rose fell from the pantry. _

I look out across the landscape of my domicile, the large lengthy leaves of the palm trees along the beach sway violently in the storm and the ocean tides roll and rise in the distance. Another strike of lightning brightens the sky and that's when I see it.

The sleek black and gold vehicle Cole uses, the Tread Assault, parked right in front of my house.

I dispel my power in shock and backpedal quickly from the balcony inside my room. I slam the doors shut and continue to back away. My hand shakes as it desperately reaches up and clings to my little sister's pearl, disbelief and bafflement causes my entire body to tremble and quake.

_I am here because of him; he brought me home, but why? Surely, he didn't do this on a whim. He never does anything on a mere whim which means…he planned this._

The sound of exhilarated laughter reaches my ears and I turn towards my closed door. It came from downstairs. Swallowing and feeling the beginning of tears, I exit my bedroom and follow the jingle of unrestrained merriment. Pass momma's room and pass Sophia's and I adjoining bathroom then finally pass her room. By the time I reach the top of stairs, I'm a complete emotional wreck.

Down below, I can see the lights on in the kitchen and hear the tantalizing sizzle of grease.

"Are you serious?! Sasha used to snore!?" Cole laughs and I cover my mouth to keep my choked sobs quiet as a mature and feminine Sophia answers him.

"Like a hibernatin' bear! Sometimes it would get so bad that momma and I would have to turn her away from her balcony doors so she wouldn't inhale the drapes!"

My little sister's voice. I've talked to her through my PMS whenever I could and I was amazed then at how grown-up she sounded. So sweet and soft with an edge of sass, a delicate pitch she developed and distinguished all on her own. To hear her now so loud and clear and knowing she's only a few yards away is almost too much.

My vision blurs in tears as I reach the bottom of the staircase and I don't attempt to stop them as they cascade down my face. There she was, sitting at the dining room table with Cole; her dark cocoa hair much longer than I remember and done-up in multiple small braids that spiraled at the end. Her complexion is a little lighter than mine, having an ample amount of daddy's Portuguese blood. And as she tucks a few braids behind her ear, I observe the little golden hoop earring and what I think is a dolphin jumping through. I can't tell how tall she is while she's seated, but I can tell by her lithe frame that swimming has done wonders on her body. Her faded black jeans seem almost painted on and the baby blue wool sweater she adorned was obviously oversized.

She and Cole both notice me at the same time, but my eyes remain fastened on my sibling. With a broad smile she jumps to her feet and runs to me. I open my arms wide as she flings herself into them and hold on to her as tight as I can, lifting her still relatively short self off the ground.

"_Bem vindo ao lar, sis grande. Eu senti sua falta," _(Welcome home, big sis. I missed you)she says in our father's tongue and I put her down and reciprocate with a barely discernible voice, my tears of joy making my words sound small and weak.

"_Eu também senti sua falta, lidolphin." _(I missed you too, little dolphin.)

We pull apart and the eyes of our father look up at me, those peerless grey-blue irises. No words come to mind to express how happy I am at this very moment.

"It's been far too long since I've seen this," I look beyond Sophia to see my momma step into view, her dark brown eyes are just as I remember them: warm, loving, and full of endless wisdom. "My two lil' babies at home again."

The last few words came out strained and her eyes mist over in unshed tears.

"Momma…"

Time must've frozen these pass four years. Momma is still so beautiful with no trace of lines or wrinkles on her dark skin and I could see not a touch of grey in her messy bun. She could easily pass for a woman in her mid-twenties than one in her early-forties and the long green sundress she wore gave her a serene homey appearance while accentuating her fine curves, as well as her white apron over it.

Momma never speaks about it, but Sophia told me that men still came around every once in awhile to try and court momma. However, she keeps turning every single one of them down flat without any sort of hesitation. I remember being present when Antonio, daddy's First Mate and best friend, appeared at our doorstep. I was dumbstruck when he told momma that he wanted to fill the void that daddy left in her heart and that he would love and cherish not only her, but me and Sophia as well. And he also mentioned that…it would be what daddy wanted. That was the one and only time momma hesitated and for good reason because we all liked Antonio. He and daddy grew up together and they had a great rapport that defined their friendship. Daddy was the rowdy head-strong one while Antonio was the cool and quiet one. In retrospect, he came by quite often when daddy was still alive and would give Sophia and I each a pat on the head. He would then go into great detail about certain things that we should know about the open sea, but because Sophia and I were so small at the time I can't recall what those things were. Honestly, he was an all-around great guy, but on that day I wasn't nearly as shocked as momma was. She just stood there in front of him with the most devastated look on her face and her expression alone drove me and Sophia to act. We became momma's shield and told Antonio to leave and never come back. Yeah, I remember…I was twelve and Sophia was nine and after he gave us each a look of dolefulness…he left…for good. Antonia left Poseidonia altogether. We all knew it was for the best and maybe even Antonio did too. Momma will always remain everlastingly faithful to daddy. Even now I can see the sparkling wedding ring adorning her left hand. Not once did she ever take it off.

She joins Sophia and I, making the Graciano family reunion complete. The three of us stand together at the foot of the stairs hugging each other tightly.

"You've grown so big, Sasha. Look at you?!" Momma gushes, pulling back.

I gasp out a short laugh and attempt to wipe away my tears, but momma does it for me even as hers fall.

"Momma, you haven't aged a bit," I say quietly and she cocks an eyebrow.

"Why of course not, baby! Remember what I always told you: Women don't get old, we just get more experienced!" Sophia and I laugh and agree readily and momma suddenly leans close. "Now, I want you to go over there and tell that man all is forgiven, ya hear me?!" She states firmly while jerking a thumb over her shoulder.

Her and Sophia part ways, thus allowing me to see Cole again. When I begin to walk towards him, he stands up. He's been quiet this whole time, but I'm sure he was smiling since I came down. I can't stop my tears from flowing. I simply don't understand why he did this for me when his birthday was approaching. _His_ special day. I walk into his strong arms and he holds me lovingly. He has always been there for me. He's always so dependable and caring.

_I love you so much, but please tell me…_

"Why?" I mumble into his shirt and I can feel his hand unhurriedly comb through my hair.

"You told me something once, on the night of your birthday…" I can hear every word through his chest, from his heart. His voice sends a pleasant reverberation throughout my body. "You said, you would do anything for me and I wanted to relay that mutuality. I knew how much you wanted to see your home and family again, that's why I conjured up this plan. Everyone back at the Bounty along with your family made this happen, not just me. And also…" he pulls back, so that I may look up into his eyes. "I wanted to get over this hurdle in our relationship. I'm sorry I upset you and understand that I never thought you were weak. Never. I've seen the transition you went through since your arrival at the Bounty and now you've become the strongest woman I know. And even though I think you already know this Sasha, I feel that it has to be said," his hands grip my shoulders and his eyes darken in seriousness.

"_A relationship is also a connection between souls. If you can't go to anyone else than at least come to me with your problems, I was worried and still am, but together we can overcome any hardship of that I am sure. I'll depend on you, if you'll depend on me. I want to achieve that ultimate balance with you."_

I look up to him hopefully, "As equals?"

He smiles, "As equals."

With a smile of my own, I reconnect our bodies and hug him gratefully. He kisses the top of my head and whispers, "There has to be an underlining meaning…we'll figure this out together."

I know what he means. My premonition. I am still scared of having to face my own mortality, however from the sentiment of his actions and words I feel that a small portion of that fear has dissipated. And the fact that he planned all this in accordance with his birthday, that aspect is just so astounding. I had my own plans on how I wanted to celebrate his twentieth year. I wanted to treat him like a king, cook all his favorite meals, give him a nice rubdown to work out any kinks in his muscles and massage those sensitive areas that always makes him moan in pleasure. And when the evening hit, I had planned to serve dinner to him out on the deck underneath the stars and present him with my gift: the amorilla's fangs, the _"símbolo dos casaisas"_ (couples' token). I would explain its significance and afterwards depending if he accepted my unconditional love and devotion, I would ask for him to take me to his room and make love to me.

My face heats up as I hold him tighter. I suppose I'll have to make his birthday memorable in another way since my gift is back home sitting on top of my nightstand…

_Let's just enjoy our stay here while we can._

"You two kids are so cute," I hear momma say from behind as Cole and I separate. She comes back into the kitchen and levels me with knowing eyes. "And you my lil' habanera, remember that life is much too short to be holding a grudge. You ain't perfect either and you're going to mess up too. Falling in love is the easy part; the hard part is maintaining that love and going through trials and tribulations together. Only the naïve and inexperienced believe that once you find your soul mate everything's going to be bread and butter from then on. It ain't. It's hard work, so roll up y'all sleeves and work at it. Prove to the world and to each other that you two can make it, ya hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am," Cole and I say in unison.

I resist the urge to cringe in on myself once I see that hand rest firmly on a cocked hip. I guess it doesn't really matter how old I get, I'll always feel like a little girl in front of momma.

"Alright then," she says with a curt nod and turns her gaze away. I follow it and see Sophia in the living room with the T.V. remote in her hand. "Sophia? Girl, I know you ain't gettin' ready to turn on that T.V.!"

"Oh momma, I just want to check something real fast," Sophia tries, but momma of course ain't having it.

"You ain't checking nothin' real fast! You know the rules! Now c'mon in this kitchen and help your sister set the table! Lunch is almost ready!" She commands fiercely then turns to Cole with the sweetest smile. "Cole-sugah, you just sit down and relax. You're a guest in our home and are going to be treated as such."

"Uh, okay…" Cole obliges a bit unsurely and sits back down in his previous seat. I know he would offer to help, but I bet he doesn't want to get a tongue lashing from momma.

"Don't just stand there Sasha chop-chop, go get the plates. You should know where everything is since this house hasn't changed. Move along now," she beckons and returns to the stove.

I hasten to obey my momma's wishes, knowing better than to talk back. With Sophia by my side, we set about our tasks in the kitchen and as I open the cabinet where a neat stack of black plates lie, a certain feeling washes over me. A feeling of serene nostalgia…I've been gone for over four years, but if feels like I never left. Etched into my body and mind are the ways of my home.

I inhale deeply and my stomach stirs up a loud growl of hunger at the delicious scents mingling together in the air. A light giggle draws my attention to Sophia.

With her hands full of silverware, she rolls her eyes at me. "You may not sleep like a hiberatin' grizzly anymore, but I bet you still eat like one that just woke up from hibernatin'."

"And I bet you still get lost on the way to the bathroom if I don't take you," I counter with a smirk.

When Sophia used to get angry or embarrassed, her cheeks would enlarge like a puffer fish's…It's good to see things haven't changed.

"Th-that didn't happen often! Only when I woke up in the middle of the night to go! I always wake up drowsy and discombobulated!"

"Hmm, short-term memory loss or bad sense of direction? Take your pick."

Before Sophia can rebuttal, a twisted towel cracks like a whip and hits her on the back of the head making her wince. Seconds later, I feel the same quick sting of pain to my own head.

"OWWW!"

"Girls, get it done!" Momma reprimands in a harsh whisper. "I'm ready to serve and there ain't no plates or silverware on the table! And don't forget the cups! Shameful! You two know better than to keep a guest waitin'!"

My sister and I rub our sore spots. "Sorry, momma…" we say softly simultaneously.

From the table, I hear the hearty chuckle of my beau. He says nothing and just continues to chortle and snicker.

_Geez! I see momma is still quick to hit!_

A couple of minutes later, the table is set and we are all sitting down eating a scrumptious lunch consisting of golden-brown fried catfish planks, corn-on-the-cob, and momma's homemade coleslaw. Okay, I guess I did eat like a voracious bear, but c'mon! I haven't eaten since yesterday, plus it was momma's cooking! Something I've been yearning for and Cole wasn't much better. Everyone saw him grab plank after plank of catfish and complimenting momma's cooking all the while, not to mention he adored the blue _Kool-Aid_ that was brought to the table by Sophia. I'll have to remember that. Bottom line, it was a grand ol' time and lunch was spent eating and Cole and I talking about our adventures and exploits as ninja. Momma and Sophia had a lot of questions and we answered as best we could, but I didn't tell them about all the close calls we had and Cole followed my lead. No need to make them worry needlessly.

After lunch, momma thought it was high-time to humiliate me, so we gathered in the living room to watch some home movies. I hid my face in the couch pillows multiple times in embarrassment when the camera happened to focus on me. I've watched these videos again and again in previous years and they always made me feel two emotions: discomfiture and wonder. As an infant, it looked predestined for me to become a performer for there I was dressed in nothing but a diaper and a little frilly pale green top trying my best to move my awkward little body in rhythm with the sound of the maracas and tambourines playing in the background. Soon as expected, daddy comes in view and picks me up. We are on the Hispaniola, early morning and momma is the one holding the camera. She laughs when daddy begins to dance with me in his arms and my round chubby face splits into a happy grin.

Another scene begins to play, a time much later when Sophia is born. She sits in her highchair wearing a pink cone-shaped birthday hat and a goofy smile and I appear carrying a miniature cake, placing it in front of her. Momma comes in and sticks a single candle in the cake and lights it. That's when we start to sing. The traditional birthday hymn comes the most clearly from daddy since he's the cameraman this time around, but suddenly laughter erupts from all of us when during the middle of the song Sophia sputters on the candle to extinguish the small flame and puts her face in the cake. Her first birthday present was a musical starfish nightlight.

Another tape is inserted and at the first scene, I can't help but snuggle closer to Cole and he puts his arm around me. Momma and daddy, standing in front of each other under a white arc decorated with exquisite white carnations and petunias. Momma was dressed in the most beautiful wedding gown I've ever seen and daddy was looking as dashing as ever in a black three-piece suit, his vest a charming shade of teal and a white rose garnished in his lapel. The wedding was held on the sandy white beaches near the upper part of Poseidonia's coastline, the sky a fair and stunning blue with just enough of a cross-breeze to make momma's veil and long dark hair flutter and daddy's crimson locks dance.

My gaze falls on momma seated on the recliner, her eyes bright and vibrant as she watches the screen of her beloved and treasured past. It took quite a few years, but our family can now watch these videos without crying. Daddy was the greatest and most wonderful man and should always be remembered with a smile not tears. When they finish saying their vows to each other and share their first kiss as husband and wife, my smile falters.

_Will I ever experience this day of holy matrimony for myself? _

Cole's proposal versus my premonition. I can feel his hand squeeze my shoulder gently and I react by turning to him. He smiles although his eyes are shrouded in a dense fog, a clever guise to mask his thoughts, but I know him far too well. I know he's probably thinking the same thing I am. It being too painful to hold his gaze, I am the first to look away and focus on the screen once more. I curse my own destiny and lament that I will never experience this type of unfathomable joy.

Many hours pass before we find ourselves sitting at the dinner table again, eating a wholesome supper of barbeque pork ribs, mustard greens, and cheese potato scallops.

_My God, I'm in hog heaven! _

I spread a few drops of hot sauce on my greens and stuff a forkful in my mouth when momma starts to speak.

"Sophia, you see how Sasha brought her boyfriend to meet me, so when are you going to follow her example and bring yours?"

"_Momma!" _Sophia cries and I nearly choke on my mouthful greens.

"You have a boyfriend!" I blurt out in excited glee. "Who is it?!"

Sophia's only answer is to shove scallops in her mouth.

"Shao Jaejoong."

My sister immediately stops chewing and stares wide-eyed at Cole, her face alight in a blush. My head whips to him then back at Sophia rapidly. "You told him and not me!?"

"Well…" Her fork scrapes her plate in slow strokes. "I needed some advice," she says quietly, her eyes averted from mine.

"Wha? I could've given you advice." I'm beyond bewildered as to why she would go to Cole instead of her own sister.

"Maybe, but I didn't want to get grilled for info in the process. I knew you would gush over your lil' sister having a boyfriend, it's the same reason why I didn't tell you about my first."

I'm pretty sure her words caused me to have some sort of aneurism since my brain refused to produce a single coherent thought. A whole minute of silence elapses before I'm able to recover somewhat.

"Wha? Who was your first?" I ask meekly. I feel so left out and…alone.

"Manuel Rodriguez."

Momma and Cole both answer and the sudden urge to go sit in the corner and cry is overwhelming, but all I do is sit back and take a deep breath.

"Okay, maybe I do become a bit…excitable when I hear certain news, but when something good happens to someone I'm close to I can't help it. Your happiness means a great deal to me Sophia, I just want to secure a peace of mind for myself that you are with someone you are content with. I'm sorry. I never thought my ecstatic disposition would cause a barrier to form between us and keep you from telling me about your relationships."

I look at my sister with sorrow. "I really am sorry, Sophia."

She gives me a small unsure smile and I can feel Cole's hand rest on mine.

"Look at it this way, Sophia," he begins. "What would you rather have? An older sister who cares deeply or an older sister who doesn't care at all?"

Her smile turns truer. "Well, I guess when you put it that way the answer is obvious."

"Sophia-baby, why don't you tell Sasha about Manuel first and then we can move on to your newest beau?" Momma puts in and Sophia shrugs.

"Okay, but there really isn't much to tell about Manny. He broke-up with me so that he could date the captain of my swimming team—"

"WHAT!?" I roar and Cole instantly cautions me with a firm squeeze to my hand. "I mean—er…ahem! It's good that he let you know he wasn't committed to the relationship before pursuing someone else," I reiterate with obvious difficulty.

_Unlike some imbecilic cretins…_

Sophia cocks a fine eyebrow and shrugs again. "It's really alright, Sasha. Even though I cared about him I wasn't in love or anything. Only a select few can get it right the first time. Also, I found out that I respond better to a guy with confidence and Manny lacked that. I can only feel sorry for him when I see him now for he fits the profile more of a personal lackey than a boyfriend…Sylvia may be beautiful, but it's only on the outside. I hope he realizes that soon."

I blink at my younger sister in astonishment. Her maturity and growth is incredibly apparent and pride swells in my chest to see her so in control of not only her composure, but of what she wants in a potential love interest.

"Your compassion is worthy of Lord Leviathan's first born, Esmeralda, Sophia. I'm glad you weren't hurt by him."

She grins. "Thanks, I believe our Lord had something else planned for me because two weeks later…Jaejoong was transferred to my school."

At the mere mention of his name she blushes. How sweet…

_Okay Sasha, don't gush!_

"Jaejoong…is that Chinese or Japanese?" I wonder thoughtfully.

"Korean," Cole answers knowingly, "but the surname "Shao" is entirely Chinese, so most likely he's a half-blood."

"Oh, he is. His mother's name is Hyun Ae San and his father's is Shao Yong. He's from the Jing Province overseas; I believe his hometown is called Taoyang. Anyway, when he was first introduced to the class and his hazel-amber eyes swept over the room, he looked…regal, calm, intelligent and confident. There was absolutely no sign of trepidation or nervousness in his demeanor and his voice was deeper and smoother than I expected from a foreign exchange student."

She pauses briefly and stirs the straw in her lemonade around in a lax circle. Her eyes continue to stare at nothing as she persists in a blissful voice.

"Everyone discovered that his English was impeccably flawless and I could tell that some of the girls were already organizing a fan club in his honor since he was quite the looker too. I only had homeroom with him and in between periods he would always be flocked by his admirers. I didn't get a chance to actually talk with him until I found him at my spot on the school roof where I eat lunch. After I promised him that I wouldn't tell anybody where he was hiding, he invited me to sit and talk with him. And then from that day on it became our little routine. We would meet on the roof and have lunch together and talk about anything and everything. After about three months of getting to know him and learning about his culture, I found myself waist-deep in the clear waters of infatuation and every day that went by the tide would rise higher and higher until I felt like I was drowning in my love for him."

Her eyes display mixed emotions when they meet mine "Jaejoong became a dear friend to me and I was terrified of revealing my feelings to him because I didn't want to risk ruining our friendship…and also I didn't want him to think I had become just another one of his fan-girls. My fear got the better of me, so I kept my heart under lock and key, but soon things got awkward. During our rendezvous our conversations were becoming shorter and more inconsistent. It got so bad one time that the entire lunch period was spent in silence. We just sat together shoulder-to-shoulder listening to the constant chirp of birds and the whistle of the wind. But, just one month ago when I went up to meet him, as soon as I opened the door and stepped out into the light he stood up and approached me. To say I was surprised when he kissed me would be a sever understatement. I was flabbergasted, but despite of my clogged euphoric brain I managed to kiss back with as much passion as I could muster. When we parted, he asked for my hand in courtship and told me he wanted to find out just how deep his feelings for me were."

I know my grin is incredibly wide and the heat is visible upon my sister's cheeks. The whole story is just so cute! I'm allowed to gush a little bit, right?

"Jaejoong sounds like such a gentleman," I admire and momma concurs.

"I agree and bold. So, what did you say, baby?"

Sophia twirls a few of her braids around her finger, "I told him about my reluctance and how I also had feelings for him. It was such a great day, a start to something new and fresh…but, since then we've only hung out after school. We haven't had an official date yet."

"Well, that will have to change…" I pause to ponder a solution, but Cole is the one to speak up.

"The sun is supposed to burn bright tomorrow and I want to see what Poseidonia has to offer. Sasha and I will be heading out no doubt, so why don't you call up Jaejoong in the morning and see if he's free to come with us? I don't see why we can't make it a double-date thing."

I eye him curiously. _Cole, you've never been here, but…why do you have that glint in your eye like you have something else planned…?_

"Nice, that way I can meet him before y'all set out," momma says.

"Really? I mean you wouldn't mind that, Sasha?" Sophia asks hopefully and I look at her incredulously.

"Why would I mind? It's a great idea!" I can barely contain my excitement for tomorrow. A date with Cole through Poseidonia and meeting Sophia's beau…Ah…it feels like my heart and soul are swimming freely in the ocean. I feel like I'm being liberated…if only for a while.

"Cole-sugah, just how did you and my lil' habanera meet? You never said and neither have you, Sasha."

_I haven't?_

Cole's hand has been a constant comfortable weight on top of mine and the gentle pressure of a squeeze beckons me to face him. Those emerald-jade irises are focused intently on me.

"Sasha and I met in Ninjago City in front of the Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts four years ago, near a bus stop."

I smile happily at the memory.

"It was just beginning to drizzle when the bus carrying her came to a stop right in front of me. After the passengers started to disembark, I heard her voice shouting for someone to help her catch a pearl that she had dropped."

I unconsciously reach up and smooth my fingers around the precious jewel.

"When I retrieved it for her, I looked up and there she was. Wearing a sleeveless green-aqua dress and white sandals…"

I blush. _He remembers what I was wearing? Wow…__**I**__ don't even remember what I was wearing or even what he was wearing for that matter._

"Our fingers brushed when I gave her back her pearl and I felt a sensation like a shiver course through my body…" he closes his eyes briefly, "I was startled by it at first, but we began to talk to each other, so I didn't have much time to brood about it. I do however remember every single word that was spoken between us."

_Cole…? I remember too, but…_

"It was so brief, our interaction and conversation would seem typical for people who just happened to bump into each other, but for me it was a turnabout. Sasha inspired me to find my own path and purpose and I never forgot about her. Never."

That night after my Trial, I remember those words breathed into my ear. I'll never forget them either.

"_**I never forgot about you, you know. Even though I thought I'd never see you again, my mind always drifted back to you."**_

_Is…is he saying that I am his first?_

_**And last, Sasha…**_

_Waves?_

"I…I was…" Cole drifts off and I find myself in bewilderment once again.

"Sounds like you were hit by the thunderbolt, sugah…love at first sight."

"Oh momma, that's ludicrous—"

"No, you're right Ms. Graciano. It's the only logical explanation," Cole counters swiftly and I turn to him. My shock is apparent, but he carries on undeterred, his voice irrefutably strong. "Why I never forgot about you, why I compared you to every girl that wanted to date me and why I refused them. I had a hunch that it was more than inspiration or your physical beauty. That tremor that went through me…I guess I was more in-tuned with my element even before I knew it existed. The first link of a strong bond had forged. You had my heart, Sasha. Long before you even knew my name."

I stand up from my chair abruptly, retracting my hand from Cole's in the process. I say nothing as I turn and flee from the kitchen back up the stairs and into my room. I close my door and walk in a stupor to my bed. I flop down unceremoniously and stare at the floor.

_**Your mind is in turmoil once again. Must young love always be so melodramatic?**_

"It doesn't make sense," I say out loud. "How could he of all people believe in such folly?"

_**Folly? Sasha, I'm sure you've heard of the phrase…'only fools fall in love', correct? Well, I'm afraid that counts you amongst the ranks of the foolish. **_

"I am aware of that, Waves. I am mortal after all, but that doesn't mean that I believe in something as nonsensical as love at first sight."

_**Maybe in not such a black and white fashion, however you were just as equally captivated by the Ninja of Earth as he was with you.**_

"What are you talking about? No, I wasn't."

_**Your denial is one of the many dams that impede your growth. Allow me to enlighten you about your very own past and hopefully by doing so it will destroy that particular dam. In Poseidonia, you had no romantic relations. You had not begun to seek out male companionship until after you enrolled in the Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts. Before Cole Belmonte, you had only two prior relationships…Michael Bailer and Peter Carbone. Michael fell victim to the sultry advances of a temptress because he wasn't strong enough to resist her wiles and Peter was extremely possessive of you and wanted to consummate before you were ready which led to a very bitter farewell. Cole, Peter, and Michael each have differentiating personalities however there are two indubitably key elements that connect them. What are those elements, Sasha?**_

I sit quietly, meticulously going through my memories with each partner I had and how they connected. The dawn of my realization leaves me breathless. The answer was staring at me right in the face, but I had refused to acknowledge it then because I didn't want to admit my own logical flaw. I blocked out certain aspects about my encounter with Cole four years ago, like how my heart skipped a beat when he looked up and I saw those stunning emerald-jade eyes for the first time and how the light drizzle of rain made his shaggy black hair gloss and shine which caused me to blush at how handsome he looked. And most importantly…when he gave me back my pearl and our fingers brushed I felt a stirring within my core, a calming slosh like waves pressing gently against rocks. I too felt that precious instant making of a bond. I thought it was just due to my youth that I had become entranced by him and the circumstance of our brief meeting, just a hopeful fairy tale, but even though I forced my mind to bury those details my heart wouldn't let me forget.

I stand up and take a few steps towards my balcony doors, I can still hear the rain outside, but it's not as fierce as it once was. No bellow of lightning or roar of thunder even the wind has calmed, all that remains…is a light drizzle.

The jewel around my neck, Sophia's Pearl, before Jasmine attached it to its gold chain I had always carried it around with me. It became my figurative emotional outlet. I would grasp it when I needed to think critically or when I was severely angered or fret with anxiety. After my encounter with Cole, I dropped my pearl two more times and…during those two times…two boys picked it up and returned it to me.

Michael, a boy with dark skin like mine and dark brown hair that looked almost black under dim lighting and his eyes were a rare shade of light green.

And Peter, the closest to being Cole's doppelganger, though his skin was much paler he had pitch black wavy hair and beautiful sea-green eyes.

I unconsciously reached out to each one despite the fact that neither of them affected me the way Cole had. I knew the chances of meeting the boy in the rain again were slim, so I thought I could find a replacement, someone I could give my heart to. However, the threads of fate had already been woven and my heart already belonged to another…to the boy in the rain with shaggy black hair and deep emerald-jade eyes.

I release a shaky breath and feel the corners of my mouth lift to form a smile.

"I guess there is a modicum of truth in some fairy tales…"

A light knock sounds from my door and it creaks open then closes with a soft click. Because of the late hour, my room is darker than before to the point that the sense of sight is useless. I hear no sound, but I am so aware of his presence. My senses prick as he nears and I turn around to face him. He stops and he's so close that I can feel the heat from his body.

"Sasha…did I upset you?"

"No," I whisper, "I just needed a little time to come to terms with how nonsensical love truly is. How could I have been so blind to the workings of my own heart? It seems like every time I take a step forward in progress, I subsequently take two steps back. I'm not improving at all."

"Don't be so hard on yourself you know that's not true." His hands grip my hips and he pulls me to him. "Every experience we have serves some purpose in making us stronger." His brow connects with mine and his voice drops an octave, creating a melodious undertone. "I told you…our souls are connected. Lets' face every ordeal ahead from now on together. There is absolutely nothing for us to fear, _amore_."

It's been some time since he's called me that and I've missed the deep seductive murmur of his Italian accent. My heart pounds in endearment and those full delicious lips are only a millimeter away. From his certainty and from Waves' help in banishing my denial, I feel something inside me break…like a dam and my element, all that glorious water that was held back flows freely now through my body and spirit.

My vim, vigor and confidence returns full force.

"Yes…together, my _devotion_."

I close the miniscule gap and the sweet contact brings me euphoria instantly. It has been far too long since we've shared a kiss. Strong arms encircle my body as an eager tongue parts my lips and touches mine. We've just had dinner, but I can only taste dessert, chocolate cake and strawberries…

"Mmm…how I've missed the taste of you…" Cole breathes throatily in between kisses. "Sweet mangos on the inside and…" his lips detach from mine with a soft smack and shortly a hot moist trail is made along the column of my throat, causing me to gasp and shiver, "…ahh _si _(yes) rich creamy caramel on the outside. Why do you taste like my own personal dessert?"

My body has begun to heat up considerably and I wrap my arms around his neck to keep myself upright, my arousal making my legs weak.

"Just…ohhh…a mixture of body wash and lotion I use," I moan wantonly. "Haa…and you should talk _bonito_…" I smile wickedly and retaliate with a timely lick to his throat, he swallows and I can feel his Adam's apple bob underneath my tongue. I end my possessive ministration with a kiss to his strong pulse. "You're not only my dessert…you're my full-course meal…"

"Uhhhh…damn…Sasha…"

Our lips connect forcefully, our passion so evident that it's tangible. We fall back unexpectedly and land smack-dab in the middle of my bed. We bounce slightly from our momentum and my mattress groans in protest of our combined weight. My legs straddle my beau's waist and I lift my upper body off him, my loose hair spilling over my shoulders. I know his eyes are on me despite the darkness and my hands ghost along the soft fabric of his shirt in an attempt to caress the hard muscle underneath.

"I've been searching for you for a long time, Cole. And now that I finally have you, I don't intend to ever let you go…I hope you're okay with that?"

My fingers allow me to feel his heartbeat and it accelerates significantly at my words.

"Sasha, I wouldn't have it any other way, but please tell me…does this mean that you accept—"

All of a sudden, the door to my room bursts open and light from the hallway careens through. I scramble off of Cole hastily when I see momma standing in the doorway with both hands planted firmly on her hips.

"Y'all must've thought I lost my mind!" She growls strictly.

"Mommy!" I yelp in fright as she marches over and points her finger at us accusingly.

"You two ain't sleepin' in the same bed or even the same room, ya hear me?! Neither one of you is wearing an engagement ring, so that means there ain't gonna to be no _"gettin' it on"_ under my roof!"

My mouth falls agape at her accentuation.

"Ms. Graciano, we weren't going to do that I promise! I'm sorry—"

"Uh-huh, you're gonna be sorry sugah if you don't get your behind downstairs and into that den where you are supposed to sleep! Go on now! Move it!"

Momma motions her head sharply towards the door and Cole mumbles a quick "Yes, ma'am" before maneuvering ungracefully off my bed and bolting out of the room.

Momma then directs her wrath back at me. "Now Sasha, listen up!"

"Y-Yes ma'am?" I stutter meekly with a cringe. I'm so freakin' scared right now!

"I just got off the phone with Vivian and she asked me if I could cover her shift tomorrow at the Aquarium which I agreed to do since I owe her one. Which means I'll be leaving early in the morning and won't get back until dinnertime, leaving you in charge of cooking all the meals, ya hear me?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am."

"Make sure Sophia does the dishes…Oh! And while y'all are out tomorrow don't forget to stop by the Moroccan Bazaar and grab a bunch of mangos and papayas so I can make my tropical cobbler for dessert."

"Yes, ma'am."

Her harsh reprimanding expression and tone recedes and is gradually replaced by a caring motherly temperament.

"I'm so happy for you my lil' habanera," she coos and places a kiss on my forehead. "You're never going to forget your first time and if you plan to give yourself to this man then make sure you have no regrets afterwards. Every move you make creates your destiny…remember that."

She hugs me and I reciprocate. "I understand. Thank you momma, you're the best."

She releases me with a warm chuckle. "Tell me somethin' I don't know."

She leaves the room as well and closes my door, casting me in absolute darkness once again.

"And thank you, Waves. I know assisting me has been harrowing as of late."

Her deep soothing quiet laughter resonates through my mind pleasantly. _**Nonsense Sasha, I am always happy to assist you. A dam has been broken, so progress is being made. Notice that the static before has ceased somewhat? Slow and steady will win this race and I will be with you every step of the way…as will your father and Lord Leviathan. Not to mention, the Ninja of Earth.**_

The celestial spirit speaks the truth. Although the disruption is still there, it's not as bothersome as it once was. I sigh and scoot across my bed to flip on my bedside lamp.

_Yes, I know I have to believe that…they are all with me and will help me get through this._

I lay eagle-spread on my old bed for a few minutes then roll over on my side. My brow furrows when I notice a sea-foam green and white suitcase standing near my closet. _My_ suitcase. I move excitedly to grasp the handle and pull it with me on my bed. As soon as I pop the clasp and lift the cover, a thrilled gasp escapes me.

Sitting on top of a pile of neatly folded clothes was the black leather case I placed Cole's gift in and when I open the top…there it is…sitting beautifully completed. The dulled fangs fastened and encircled magnificently around the heavy platinum chain. In my excitement, I almost don't catch the folded white piece of paper amongst the clothes.

I remove and open it gently.

_Dear Sasha,_

_Have fun and reconcile with your man! _

_Please share all the juicy details of your getaway when you return!_

_If your reconciliation leads to consummation, please remember to be safe._

_ Love Your Kunoichi Sisters,_

_ Nya, Ayane, and Ebony_

I fall back into my pillows and hug both precious items to my chest.

"Thank you so much my sisters," I whisper sincerely. "And Cole…after tomorrow, I will try my best to make your twentieth birthday the best one of your life thus far."

* * *

**Due to the eighteen page length of this chapter, I decided to end it here and extend the story one more chapter, making it a total of six chapters instead of five. I have a very bad habit, don't I! XD So, the double-date will be in the next chapter and also…what really happened to Sasha's father. Was he really abandoned by Leviathan? Hehehe…**

**Those of you who are worried about me keeping my promise of starting Trials and Tribulations in March don't be because the Prologue and Chapter 1 of Power of Aura are almost completed! I will post the Prologue at the end of March as promised which will give me time to finish this short story and perhaps start Praise Amaterasu. I'm not sure yet. I'll keep everyone posted on any changes that may occur, but so far everything is looking great! Hope everyone enjoyed meeting Sasha's family! More fun and drama is on the way! **

**Please read and review!**

**P.S.**

**Judging from my poll, everyone wants the dragons to return! Your wish is my command! Also, don't worry to those of you who don't, the Ninja will still and use their Spinjitzu Vehicles on occasion. I promise! :)**


	5. Exploration and Revelation

**Helloooooo! Wow! Great reviews everyone, thank you! So sorry about the overextended wait time for an update, "busy" doesn't come close to describing my schedule as of late. But, I'm here now and that's what counts! I hope you guys are ready for some surprises this chapter! Oh, and below are my responses to the anonymous reviews I received. I hope I got all of them!**

**NinjagoFangirl12: I'm sorry about your friend moving away, but as for my OC, Dominique, I have no intention of changing anything about her not even her name for it has a special biblical reference that is very significant to my new upcoming series. Not to mention, she's been finalized for over a year. Again, I'm sorry and I hope to have your continued support.**

**CrazyNinjagoFan1: Alright, I'll give you a tally for 'Yes' on my poll. Thanks for participating! **

**BookQueen12321: Thank you for your praise and support! Maa…I just don't care about the new season period. I could write a twenty page report on all the things wrong with it from just the two episodes. It's shameful! It's disgusting! The writers wanted money, that's it. There was no real thought put into the script and they decided to rip-off three animes. It's so bad that I've decided it just doesn't exist. The previous seasons are the best seasons! Ninjago: Reboot my ass! REBOOT! That destroyed it right there!**

**Please read and enjoy!**

* * *

Careful Planning

(Cole's POV)

"_**Cole, you've been acting odd lately. What are you planning to do?"**_

_Dante?!...Oh, of course…a dream. I can still remember his voice so clearly. That was four years ago though…I wonder how he sounds now?_

"_**Dad already enrolled you at the Marty Oppenheimer, but…you're not having second thoughts, are you? I know you never enjoyed the lessons even though you have talent…but don't worry! You and I will make it big together, fratello! Just you wait!"**_

_Sigh…I guess seeing Sasha and Sophia mingle together so well has brought this dream on. Sasha's been separated from Sophia pretty much the same length of time I've been separated from Dante. Their reunion was warm and what you'd expect from siblings who got along well and missed each other. Dante…I'm so sorry. I don't know why I said what I said back then. I just couldn't take it anymore and I didn't want to get lectured by pops. I just wanted freedom and running away granted me that liberty. I didn't want to be stuck filling shoes that weren't mine to fill, but…_

"_**What?! How could you say that?! You would lie to our father and squander away his cash just to…wander around aimlessly!? Not only that, but…abandon me in the process?! We were going to be together, fratello! We were going to form a duet and make our father proud! All you would have had to do was wait until my fifteenth birthday. And then dad would've enrolled me! That was what I was hoping for! That was the plan! Not…Not you reneging at the last minute and…leaving me."**_

_I wasn't thinking about you at all. All I could see was the light of freedom at the end of a long dark tunnel. I ignored everything you said and yelled at you to grow up and stop acting like a kid. That I…I wasn't going to hold your hand anymore…not like I ever did. Regardless of me being older…we were equals and I knew that…hell…we both knew that._

"_**Fine…forget you. Lie and run away like a coward. I don't need you…looks like dad will have only one good son. Good-bye, Cole."**_

_I was so pissed at you that I didn't even say good-bye back. I just muttered something about you not understanding and left. If there's one thing that I regret in life, it's how I acted towards you on that day. Granted, before we weren't exactly the best of friends or anything, but we had something. We respected and cared about one another and now…we don't even have that. Dante, do you ever think of me like I think of you? How are you doing? When I returned to Temblor that time with the others, dad asked about you since he hadn't heard from you in awhile and I…I lied again and said you were doing great and succeeding at a much more expedited rate than I was. After everything was said and done and I told him the truth…I admitted that I had no idea regarding your whereabouts. Dad said he would look into it, but that was months ago. What's going on with you, fratello?_

The sight of angered turquoise irises fades from my mind's eye as I awaken and rejoin the realm of the conscious. I squint at the unusual brightness and realize with mild shock that I slept way pass my norm. For the sun's dark golden rays were peeking through the window blinds and casting thin bars of light along the thick teal quilt Sophia gave me last night after I high-tailed it out of Sasha's room.

I stretch lazily and take a glimpse at the hanging clock on the wall…8:53 A.M.

_Heh, first time in years since I've woken up this late. Didn't expect this pullout bed to be so comfy though…_

I'm not necessarily sleepy, but my body feels like lounging around for a bit longer and who am I to ignore such a simple indulgence. In comfort, I lie on my back and stare at the slow spin of the ceiling fan above. My dream…no…my past memory replays in my head. Mysteriously, Dante's turquoise eyes changes hue when his emotions transition. Out of everything physical about my brother, I remember his eyes the most. Well, and his hair. With the same shade of black as mine, he had these thick messy bangs that splayed across his forehead and into his eyes which consequently gave him a rather wild look. Heh, we used to jokingly tease each other with nicknames such as "Shags" and "Spikes" since his hair looked more spiky than shaggy like mine.

I recall pops saying that when we performed together our appearances created individuality that divided us along with duality that connected us as brothers. We had the perfect combination for a duet to have, yin and yang.

I cover my eyes with the length of my arm.

_I don't want to think about this now. Sasha and I just reconciled and today we're going on a date through Poseidonia. I should be focusing on relaxing and having fun not fretting about familial issues. C'mon Cole, get it together man._

Two knocks and the calling of my name cause me to remove my arm and look over at the door leading from the Graciano living room to the den.

_Sasha…_

"Come in," I call out and sit up while running a quick hand through my disheveled hair. Sasha sashays in carrying a tray, looking fresh and divine.

"Good morning, Cole. Never thought I'd witness you burning so much daylight. Were you that exhausted from yesterday?"

She walks over to my bedside and sets the tray down on the end table beside the couch.

"Nah, nothing like that," I reassure with a quick shake of my head and send her a smile. "My body knows I'm on vacation, so it just decided to make the best of it."

She peers at me skeptically from her peripheral, but my gaze moves from her to the tray she brought in. Two thick pieces of perfectly prepared French toast took up the space of one plate and thinly sliced banana pieces garnished the top. Nestled on the ceramic plate beside it were two browned and spiced sausage patties and wonderfully fluffed scrambled eggs. And to wash it all down, a tall glass of cooled orange juice.

Both plates emanated a flavorful aroma resulting in me salivating after a single whiff. I swallow quickly and lock eyes with Sasha.

"Wow _amore_, you didn't have to do this. Or is this another one of those "rules with guests" at the Graciano home things?"

She chuckles lightly before replying. "No, we don't bring guests breakfast in bed. I did this just for you, _bonito_. Consider it a little commemoration for our reconciliation."

I send her another smile, but her expression turns pensive as she settles down beside me.

"Cole, are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, why?"

"Well, it's just that your last smile didn't reach your eyes…nor did the one before that."

_Damn, I'm trying to push Dante back to the corner of my mind, but obviously I'm failing. I don't need Sasha to worry about something she can't possibly help me with. Plus, this is our time._

"Hey," I say softly and lean close so our brows touch, "don't worry about me, okay? It's nothing…really."

Soft rain begins to brew into a crystallized downpour as the pools of platinum flash then harden. "So you won't practice what you preach? Yesterday you said we were equals and that we should confide in each other about our problems. We are supposed to support one another."

"And we will—we are…ah listen," I place my hands on her smooth shoulders and try to placate her. "My problem is far less dire than yours, so let's focus on you first. Aren't we supposed to be looking forward to our date today? Speaking of which, has Sophia called Jaejoong yet?" I ask while leaning back.

Sasha has never been easy to deter, but I'm relieved when her eyes lose their hard edge. "Okay Cole and you're right. Let's enjoy ourselves and to answer your question, she's on the phone with him right now. He's free, but he won't be able to come over until around noon which leaves you plenty of time to eat and get ready. It's a shame momma won't be able to meet him. She took a shift for a friend, so she'll be working at the Poseidonia Aquarium all day today."

_Excellent, Ms. Graciano should have everything ready by the time we get there._

I pretend to ponder thoughtfully. "Your mom works at an aquarium huh…will that provide us with a discount?"

A thin crimson eyebrow lifts. "Yeah, fifty percent if I remember correctly, but…" she points at me almost incredulously, "_you_ want to go to an aquarium?"

"Why not? It could be the last stop. Plus, we'll be killing two birds with one stone. I've never been and Ms. Graciano will be able to meet Jaejoong." I grin earnestly, "It's perfect."

"Hmm, I wonder…" her voice had dropped to a sweet murmur and she leans close, her eyes are squinted as if she looking at me through a microscope. "Should I give you the benefit of the doubt or should I be wary of that deviously calculative look in your eyes?"

I play off her scrutiny coolly and reply in an equally lowered voice, "Whatever do you mean? You needn't guard yourself around me. In fact, my intuitiveness should liberate you." My eyes flee quickly to those plump and pouty cream-colored lips and I lick mine before whispering, "For nutritional balance, I could use a serving of fruit to go with breakfast. Preferably…mangos."

When her lips part, I take it as my cue to capture them with mine which in turn entices a moan from both of us. I nibble and suck gently on her lower lip, but before I can truly get a taste of tropical paradise she pulls away.

With hooded eyes and a coy smile, she removes herself from the bed. "You'll undoubtedly get your taste of me later. Enjoy your breakfast and be ready by noon. I have to finish cleaning the house."

"Hold on a sec." I reach out and grab her hand before she can turn and walk away. For some reason or other, I'm just now noticing what she's wearing.

White cut-off shorts hugged her strong thighs, exposing a substantial amount of her rich caramel legs. Aqua designs of waves characterized her passion for her element and were depicted masterfully along the front pockets and when I peek at her backside, I see the same designs on the back pockets as well. My eyes move higher to her bare midriff and linger. I've never seen Sasha's stomach before and the sight of her beautifully toned abs causes my pulse to quicken and an uncontrollable blush to appear on my face. Nervously darting to and from the area, I focus on her top. An aqua one-strap blouse snuggled comfortably around her bust and although no cleavage was visible the piece accentuated just how large her breasts are.

"Cole?"

I peer up at her face and take in the state of her hair. It was up in its usual ponytail except the tail itself was separated and braided into at least six independent braids.

_Atlas, I…_

A strong surge of possessiveness was taking root and settling inside me. I didn't want Sasha showing off her body to the public, mainly the male populace who will surely take notice of her sex appeal and beauty and most likely try to catch her eye. Her ninja attire is fine because we are rarely seen by the people, but this…I want her to show this much skin only to me.

I subtly clear my throat and after giving another unhurried inspection to her tall lithe form, I speak.

"Sasha, are you really wearing this today?"

She shrugs nonchalantly. "Yeah, it was one of the outfits packed in my suitcase. Thank Leviathan to because did you know it's going to be over eighty-five degrees today? I don't want to be sweating too much while we walk around town, so this is the most practical and ideal attire to beat the heat. I suggest you dress lightly too."

_Goddammit, Ayane! Couldn't you have packed something else?!_

Keeping a firm grasp on her hand, I detangle myself from the sheets and stand with her.

"Yeah, I know it's supposed to be hot, but you can't wear this!—I mean you look beautiful and all, gorgeous even…although that's kinda the problem! No! I—arghh!"

"Cole—"

"Hold on a minute, Sasha…" I pinch the bridge of my nose in annoyance and frustration with myself. "Let me get my thoughts together so I can say this right."

Sasha's hand comes up and removes mine from my face. "You don't have to. I understand what you're trying to say perfectly."

I stare at her as her eyes shift to the floor before meeting mine again. She smiles knowingly.

"Do you remember that time in Twilight when you and I went to go pick up a few supplies? We decided to take our time and strolled through Alto Park first. It was about midday and was getting hot, so you removed your hoodie and all you had on underneath was a white wife beater." (A/N: A wife beater is just slang for tank top, my brothers wear them all the time! )

I shrug. "Yeah, I remember…so?" I ask perplexed.

She unexpectedly laughs and rolls her eyes. "Cole, you know you have a _very _nice body…" she emphasizes her point by slipping her hand through the unbuttoned part of my pajama top and caresses my chest. "And you may not have noticed, but when we passed a group of girls they blushed, giggled, and fluttered their eyelashes at you. I wasn't exactly thrilled by the attention you were receiving from every female that happened to pass us by, but I didn't worry…do you know why?"

I smile and lift her hand to kiss her palm. "It's because of this, right?"

She nods. "Exactly, because I knew that's all they could do…look. They could never touch you the way I have and you should expect the same from me. Guys can look at me all they want, but they can never have me. Your arms are the only ones I want to be held by in that special way."

I pull her closer and her arms wrap around my neck as mine encircle her waist. She initiates the kiss and I finally get the taste of fruit that I've been craving. The kiss has a definite level of intensity that speaks volumes of how fortified our bond to each other is. However…there is something else that I need, something that will unquestionably make our bond stronger and everlasting.

_Your words from that night under the promontory still haunt me Sasha and the words you spoke last night as well. Everything leads me to believe that you want to accept my proposal, but there's an imposing mountain of a problem that you and I have to climb first. _

We part breathlessly and Sasha's hands frame my face.

"Now, I didn't slave over a hot stove for that food to go to waste. Eat up and I'll see you later and don't worry about the syrup for the French toast. I mixed it in with the batter."

She winks playfully and turns away. She leaves the den, but my eyes remain fasten on the door with a carefree smile.

_No doubt that today is going to be a great day._

* * *

It didn't take long for a couple of hours to pass by. I sat in the den eating my commemorative breakfast and watching T.V. and afterwards I freshened up and got dress. Heeding Sasha and Ayane's advice I packed lightly to accommodate the hot and humid weather that would hit the coastal city and sported a pair of khaki shorts with my black belt and a simple white tank top with black trim. I clipped a pair of sunglasses to my shirt just in case I would need them and slipped on my white Low Riders to complete my casual swag attire.

I step out of the den just as the doorbell rings. A mass thunder of footfalls sound from upstairs and within seconds both Sasha and Sophia are stampeding down the steps to make for the front door with Sasha in the lead.

"_Irmã_, will you please stop!" Sophia yells, but Sasha just laughs maniacally as she reaches the bottom level first. I sigh and move quickly to intervene, making a beeline to intercept my red-head's path I grab her hand before she can reach the door and pull her to me in a loose embrace.

"Calm down, _amore_," I say with a chuckle and continue in a light whisper. "Remember last night. Sophia's a smart girl, leave her and Jaejoong be, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. I got it. I got it," she answers back excitedly. "I just got a little ahead of myself."

I release her and Sophia passes us with a grateful smile directed at me. She stops at the front door and smoothes down her peach-colored spaghetti-strap top and dusts imaginary lint off her tan capris. With a final touch-up to her long multi-braided hair, she opens the door.

A purely Asian male about the height of Sasha makes his appearance.

"Sophia, you look beautiful…" he greets and the two embrace.

"Thanks, Jae. You look great too. I'm so glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss it. This is our first official date after all. I'm just sorry it couldn't have happened sooner."

"Well, it's happening now, so let's make it memorable."

They pull apart and Sophia turns around to gesture to me and Sasha.

"Jaejoong, I'd like you to meet my big sister, Sasha and her boyfriend, Cole."

"It's a pleasure," he says while holding out his hand for Sasha to shake and then does the same to me. His grip is firm and strong as expected…from a fellow ninja. I've made contact with him via courier eagle a few times over the last month, but like Sasha this is the first time I've seen him in person.

Dark amber triumphed over hazel, but the two colors are definitely distinguishable within his sharp and cunningly slanted eyes. His blackish-brown hair looks to be an average length, stopping just below his chin and barely touch his shoulders, but I have to look again when I notice a long ponytail draped over the left one.

_Must be layered…_

His complexion is a healthy golden shade, bringing attention to his ancestral roots and his trim yet well muscled build tells me he's been faithful to his training. Looks like he has adapted well to Poseidonia's tropical climate too since he's dressed appropriately. Navy blue shorts and a white no sleeve hoodie adorned his form as well as a magenta teardrop pendant circled his neck. A long-timed healed but deep scar cut diagonally along the ball of his right shoulder. And…I also know that somewhere on his body is a tattoo of a four-winged eagle, a symbol of his clan's loyalty and reverence to the wind goddess, Sylph.

_Sophia still doesn't know, does she Jaejoong? You didn't share with her __**all**__ of your cultural aspects. And of course, neither does Sasha._

I release his hand as his eyes travel to Sasha when she speaks.

"I can't tell you how thrilled I am to finally meet you, Jaejoong."

He smiles. "Likewise. I tried to reassure Sophia that telling you of my existence wouldn't bring misfortune to our relationship."

The youngest Graciano puffs her cheeks and retaliates with a light slap to Jaejoong's arm.

"I never said "misfortune", okay? I just didn't want her to—"

"Don't worry about it, Sophia," Sasha interrupts with a dismissal wave of her hand and a clearly relaxed grin. "It's in the past now. What's more important is the present, so let's get going! Time's a wastin'!"

Upon exiting the Graciano home, I feel the rise in temperature instantly. The sun basked in its glorified solitude today, not a single cloud accompanied it in the sky. Thanks to my conditioning however I am used to such unforgivable weather and shrug it off as I proceed to descend down the steps of the veranda with the others. Once on the sidewalk near my Tread Assault, Sasha points down the street.

"Let's take the trolley into the innermost of town. From the get-off point, we should be able to see the statue monument of Lord Leviathan."

"Whoa, there's a statue of Leviathan here?" I ask with intrigue as we begin our trek. "How big is it?"

"Precisely seven stories. Poseidonia is the ancestral city where the worship of Lord Leviathan first originated. Every known civilization has an origin story called "The First Blessing". They are the tales where the Gods first displayed their power to aid a group of people in a particular situation thus creating their first worshippers. Ours is called "The Famine" or _"O Fome"_."

"It's an incredibly fascinating story," Sophia puts in. "Poseidonia's landscape was not always a peninsula. Thousands of years ago it was a simple valley surrounded by mountains with only a few freshwater streams and a narrow path of salt water that lead out into the ocean. A settlement of no more than about five hundred people was established in the valley and for many years they thrived. The rich soil produced crops and the streams provided fresh fish and drinking water. However, all of that changed one year when a horrible drought ensued. Many of their lakebeds dried up and the soil lost its nutrients, leaving the people no choice but to ration out meals. They didn't think it would last as long as it did, but when months and months passed and still no sign of rain the people began to despair and tension and conflict arose."

Sasha nods and carries on with the story. "But before the strife could reach its pinnacle and bring the village to certain ruin, a single man who went by the name of, Eduardo Sanchez became the voice of logical reason and proposed an idea to follow the straight path of salt water and venture out into the open sea. Many opposed the suggestion from the get-go and called it ludicrous and nothing more than a desperate suicide run. The few who did agree with him built a boat and together with Eduardo set sail for the uncharted waters. Surrounded by blue, Eduardo directed his followers to cast their nets and join him on their knees in prayer. He told them that praying to the Celestial was only one step and that they had to pray to the ocean itself as well. In resolution and strength of spirit, the people aboard the ship prayed from dusk until dawn and on that following morning when they tried to bring their nets back up to the surface, they found they couldn't because they were too heavy. Eduardo rallied to keep pulling, to not let go and little by little progress was made, but it wasn't just the strength of the people aboard the ship that brought the nets to the surface. For below the bounties of captured fish and crustaceans was Lord Leviathan himself pushing up the nets and it's said that when his massive ivory horns broke through the surface and he towered over the vessel, the only one who was not afraid was Eduardo. Taking the lead once more, he calmed the others and told them not to panic but to give praise to the deity before them…."

Sasha's voice fades as our group arrives at the end of the block. A beautiful tree with pale blue blossoms and evergreen leaves provides a temporary refuge from the sun's sweltering rays which we settle under to wait for the next trolley.

Sasha wipes the beginnings of sweat from her forehead and reaches up to pluck one of the blossom heads from a low hanging branch. "The story stretches longer, but that's the gist of it. The rest tells how Lord Leviathan guided the ship through a hurricane and redirected a tsunami to protect it from being capsized along with many other extraordinary feats until it safely made it back to port."

"Yep, and because Lord Leviathan wanted to see the village for himself, he enlisted the aid of the mighty Atlas to topple the encroaching mountains and smooth out the land which gave way to the making of sandy white beaches and overall led to the creation of the peninsula. The villagers pledged eternal reverence and respect to our Lord and erected the statue in his honor. It's been polished and reinforced over the years of course and as Poseidonia grew in size and population buildings were constructed around it so as not to tamper with the chronicles of our beloved ancestors," Sophia concludes diligently.

"Hmm fascinating, I've never heard the "First Blessing" story for Leviathan," Jaejoong says and taps two fingers against his temple thoughtfully. "Seven stories…I've seen the monument, but I always assumed the height was from speculation alone since Leviathan's true length has never been accurately recorded."

"That's true," Sophia retorts. "Seven stories came from the chronicles of Eduardo, but later advocates theorized that Lord Leviathan's body could wrap around Ninjago twice from snout to tail. Everything is just conjecture. Our Lord has never shown his entire body to anyone."

"So Eduardo Sanchez was the very first advocate for Leviathan?" I ask next and Sasha answers.

"Yeah, and they say his faith was legendary…he was completely devoted to Lord Leviathan…"

The way her tone softened at the end gives me the impression that she questions the magnitude of her own faith. She turns her head to look down the street and from my peripheral I see Sophia fan herself.

"I'm forever grateful for the tropical weather, but man…Phew! I wouldn't mind if Sylph decided to fly over us right about now."

Jaejoong flicks his ponytail off his shoulder before replying. "Don't worry, Sophia. You will feel the beat of her wings soon…"

Shortly after the wind ninja's remark, the leaves and petals overhead rustle serenely from a sudden cooling gale. The divine wind is strong enough to free a swarm of the blue blossoms and they dance freely through the air before dispersing quickly as another gust blows down upon us.

"Oh yes! This feels great!" Sophia rejoices happily. "Thank you, Sylph! And good timing Jae, what are you clairvoyant or somethin'?"

"Not even a little bit," he laughs and catches a stray blue bloom on the fly. He places the flower head in Sophia's hair, his hands lingering and caressing her braided tresses fondly. "It was just a hunch."

Sasha's little sister blushes cutely and twirls a few braids with her finger. "Oh…o-okay." Despite her red face she manages to hold his gaze. I cross my arms and can't help but smile as the two share a moment. I glance over at Sasha and see her still looking down the street for our ride. Sylph's whisper or Jaejoong's influence either or, the wind continues to cool us down, but Sasha is undisturbed. Her profile is calm although her eyes are clouded in thought.

I've debated with myself on whether or not to share Jaejoong's lineage with her. In the end, I decided not to, knowing that if I did, she would go all care-bear on Sophia and would be extremely wary of Jaejoong which as a result would lead to our planned double-date to be a huge bust. And I didn't want to risk that.

_I've decided…when Sophia knows then Sasha will know. That is…if Jaejoong ever finds the right moment to tell her…_

"Here it comes, guys. Let's get ready to board," Sasha suddenly announces as a white cabled trolley on rails pulls up next to the curb. A pleasant jingle instead of a horn sounds when it slows to a screeching halt. Sasha reaches into her pocket, but I stop her.

"No need, _amore_. I got ya," I offer automatically. What can I say, I'm a gentleman plus what kind of boyfriend would I be if I let my girl pay.

She smiles but shakes her head. "It's alright, Cole. I can pay for some things, y'know? Let me."

I open my mouth to insist, but stop myself. Months ago, Sensei Wu shared his wisdom in regards to women and his words surface from my memory.

"_**Just remember that everyone has their boundaries and independent young women don't always like to be cuddled."**_

"Okay, be my guest," I nod and she boards the trolley. I already know Jaejoong will take care of his and Sophia's fare so I follow after her. Fortunately, the open-door transport isn't too crowded thus allowing us to stay seated as a group. I settle down with Sasha and the others find a seat across from us.

"Poseidonia seems to be a tourist attraction too, huh?" I observe, spying the cameras circling the necks of some passengers while others pointed outside clearly awestruck by the scenery.

"You better believe it!" Sasha boasts with obvious pride. "Since the city's expansion over recent years, it has established quite a name for itself, not only as a tourist attraction but also as an ideal vacation spot. Many people come from all over to admire Leviathan's Tribute, our beaches and the Posiedonia Aquarium where momma works at is quite renowned as well. Not to mention our hot and spicy seafood cuisine and tropical wildlife reserves. Nope, Poseidonia isn't the same small port town it was years ago..." she finishes blissfully.

"Wait…so you guys actually have jungles here?" I ask with wide eyes.

"Yeah, though they're certainly not the biggest. With the reformation of the landscape we built within and expanded outwards. The reserves are carefully maintained although some animals have been known to venture into town, so don't be surprised if you see a few lemurs and spider monkeys here and there and also…well…"

It was at that moment that my senses pricked and a rush of wind caused by a flap of wings compels me to sit still as the presence of talons on a feathery body perches on my head.

"Birds," Sasha finishes neutrally and as if to agree with her, the avian on my head emits a high-pitched squawk.

"Look! Mommy, daddy look! A toucan! A toucan is sitting on that guy's head!" I hear a child shout with glee and within seconds flashes nearly blind me when multiple cameras go off. I close my eyes and begin to laugh at the absurd coincidence and everyone on the trolley soon joins me.

_Well, now I know how Ayane feels._

* * *

The ride was short and comfortable (after the toucan flew off) and our party arrived at the drop-off point. And like Sasha promised, Leviathan's impressive seven story statue was in plain sight. I marveled at the immaculate clean cuts of marble and ivory that made up the God of Water's body and features. What was even more enthralling though were the aquamarine gemstones and emerald quartz that littered the immense dragon's hide in an artistic display to depict its scales and its intimidating glare was composed of extremely large trillion diamonds. I speculated that the statue was probably worth millions, but Sasha corrected me and said that her Lord's statue was priceless.

We roamed the city at an extremely leisured pace with me drinking in as much of the sights as I could. Sasha, Sophia as well as Jaejoong served as my tour guides and answered my questions about certain topics, but even Sasha had her questions since she'd been absent from her hometown for four years and there were buildings that she didn't recognize.

Afterwards, we happened to come across a striking scene. With large speakers blaring out what I thought was a mixture of reggae, dance, and pop music, a line of beautiful ladies were dancing in an incredibly wide and stunning fountain. The shimmering cascade of water arced over the females allowing their bodies to be lightly showered by the torrents as their supple forms moved to the music in perfect harmony. Three of the girls had instantly recognized Sasha and Sophia and beckoned them to join their exotic water dance which the sisters were more than happy to oblige.

Taking off their shoes and handing them to Jaejoong and I, the pair jumped into the fountain and under the spray to join the other young women. I stood there completely transfixed as Sasha became one with both music and water effortlessly. Drenched and dazzling, Sasha stepped, shimmied, and shook her body to the energetic beat. The crowd cheered, praised and of course some guys whistled as the line of Latinos began deftly swaying and rolling their hips in the mimicked movements of a snake. The dance was innocent with a touch of seductiveness as flexibility and dexterity were tested. Man, I couldn't tear my eyes away if I wanted to…those deliciously wet caramel abs teased the hell outta me…and as always when Sasha danced her eyes closed in serene concentration. For the climax, the dancers fell to their knees in an abrupt splash and threw their heads back dramatically, sending crescents of droplets from their hair everywhere.

The roar of applause from the spectators was near deafening. Thanks to my trance, I had failed to notice the growing amass of people who came to watch. I found out that the three girls that had signaled Sasha and Sophia to join them were actually childhood friends of Sasha's: Sonia, Angelica, and Elisa. And that the dance they performed was a traditional celebratory dance called "The Shuffle of Storms". It commemorated the fishermen's safe return after an expedition through a thunderstorm. The dancers were downright ecstatic to see Sasha again and meet me, but they couldn't mingle with us for long and had to get back to their troupe. I'm sure Sasha will find the time to reminisce with them later.

I would say that everything is going great so far, but…ever since we got off the trolley back near the Leviathan statue I've felt an undeniable disturbance. Even now as we stroll down Laguna Boulevard towards the Poseidonia Aquarium, I can still feel that persistent lurking presence. And I know I'm not the only one who senses it.

Sasha continues to pat her hair dry with the towel her friends provided her, but her brow is furrowed in unmistakable wariness. Jaejoong as well, with Sophia's hand gripped in his the expression on his face is stoic and hard unlike his once content appearance. The only one with no concern whatsoever is Sophia, her countenance relaxed and happy with a towel wrapped around her shoulders. There are plenty of people on the sidewalk with us for we aren't the only ones seeking shade from the sun's constant glare and the lush trees and fauna overhanging above us supplied that relief.

"Look, snow cone venders!" Sophia points excitedly down the street and sure enough a little ways down about six venders were set up to offer cold beverages and the like to the thirsty community. "The lines don't look too bad either. Come on guys! I'm sure we could all use a cool drink," she says while looking up at Jaejoong. She notices his expression however and instantly becomes worried. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Jaejoong gives her a smile and shakes his head. "Nothing, don't worry. Let's go…and stay close to me," he replies and the two set off for the venders.

"Cole…"

"I know Sasha. I sense it too…" I glance around inconspicuously at the surrounding populace, but nothing seems astray.

"We are being watched," she growls.

"More than that…followed as well." I know our stalkers could be anywhere perhaps even camouflaged by the surplus of people.

_We have to stay vigilant…_

Sasha places her hand on my arm. "What should we do? Should we tell them?"

I frown. "Jaejoong already knows…"

"What?"

Instead of answering her, I take her hand and move to catch up with the others. "C'mon, let's tell them."

_And see how mister wind ninja responds._

"I was thinking maybe piñacolada," Sophia ponders as we spot them a few feet away. "What do you want, Jae?"

"I…still prefer…silver fox," he puts forth slowly. There is a subtle shift in his eyes, the astute sharpness akin to an eagle scanning the area in search of deception and subterfuge. He is standing protectively close to Sophia and although his body is relaxed, his vigilance is especially high.

_Hmm…_

Sasha and I stop behind them and I discreetly warn them of our situation. "Jaejoong, Sophia…not to alarm you two, but we are being shadowed."

Jaejoong frowns.

"What?" Sophia asks startled, "You mean we're being stalked?"

My eyes settle on Jaejoong however, he's focused on Sophia.

"I'm afraid this is my fault. Sophia, I once told you that my family is very strict and overprotective of me, do you remember?"

Sophia blinks up at him. "Well yeah, but we're just on a date. Surely they can't be _that_ scared for you?"

"Unfortunately, that seems to be the case. No doubt a subdivision of my family's security detail has been dispatched and is tailing us."

"Security detail?!" Sophia whispers harshly. "You mean like men in black suits and stuff? You gotta be crazy to wear something like that in this weather," she remarks while pivoting her head this way and that to check the area. "But, I don't see anyone dressed like that."

_That's because you're looking for the wrong thing, Sophia. "Search and you shall find" is a false analogy for the naked eye can only see so much. One must always look beyond what they see to detect ninja._

"There must be a reason why your family would go through such extreme means to keep you safe," Sasha speaks up and I glance over at her. Her eyes narrow at Jaejoong. "Care to share?"

The gears are already turning in her head. Being a ninja or a kunoichi breeds suspicion to the unlikely. Caution is a trait of strength and becomes fueled to the max when centered on a loved one.

_How do you plan to tread through these deep waters, Jaejoong?_

The wind ninja faces the water kunoichi. "I am an only child…now. The last of eight. That is why and that is all."

Sasha's eyes widen a fraction and her face transitions to sympathy. "Oh, I—"

Sophia steps in front of Jaejoong and pins her sister with a glare. "You said you weren't going to do this. You don't have to worry about me and you don't have to know everything there is to know about him. I do and I understand, so just leave him alone."

I look from Sophia to Jaejoong, his face remains impassive and his eyes are equally difficult to read, but I know he feels guilty just from how he clenches his jaw.

"I wasn't going to grill him, Sophia," Sasha snaps angrily. "You know whether you like it or not you and I are family and family will always—"

"Care enough to worry," Jaejoong finishes with a warm smile. He places his hands on Sophia's shoulders in an attempt to calm her and the tension virtually dissipates from her being. "You said as much to me when I told you about my family, Sophia" he placates gently. "However, as time passes and age and experience begets wisdom and strength…protectiveness should only be displayed when needed. Now come on all of you. We need to throw the bloodhounds off our trail."

Jaejoong takes Sophia's hand once more and turns to cross the temporarily vacant street. Sasha and I follow briskly after them.

"Jae?"

"You and I will continue our date undisturbed, Sophia. I promise."

Once on the other side, we immerse ourselves in a scattered crowd and head up a steep incline of steps.

"You got a plan?" I ask and Jaejoong stops at the top and regards us with a smirk.

"Fancy a glide?" He questions, gesturing towards a distant mountain. "If we take the shuttle we can be there within half an hour. I'll handle everyone's fare since like I said before…this is my fault."

"Wait, we can't go hang gliding," Sasha states sternly and I regard her questionably.

"Why not?"

"Because…because I'm afraid of heights…"

We all turn to the soft spoken undertone of Sophia. She shakes her head miserably and averts her gaze to the ground.

"I can't even ascend a step ladder without trembling. I'm sorry Jaejoong, I don't mean to hold everyone back, but I don't think I can do it."

Everyone is still and silent. The clutter of voices produced by the oblivious people that pass us fills the ambiance as they continue on with their day undeterred by our plight. Though it would be spectacular to see Poseidonia from a bird's eye view we obviously can't risk Sophia's wellbeing. We have to think of another way to discreetly lose the ninja of Jaejoong's clan.

Jaejoong unexpectedly smiles and tugs on Sophia's hand in order bring her closer. "Today just keeps getting better and better. It seems the time has finally come for me to repay the debt I owe to you."

Sophia flushes and her expression is comically bewildered as she gawks up at him. "Huh? You don't owe me anything?"

"Yeah, you kept insisting I didn't, but I promised myself that I would find some way to repay you for helping me overcome my phobia of deep water. And now an opportunity has presented itself."

"But, I don't think it's going to be the same," Sophia laments.

"No, not exactly. For instance, I won't forcibly pull you underwater by your leg—"

"Hey, I warned you to hold your breath, didn't I? Geez, how was I supposed to help you if you refused to go beyond five feet? I was there with you the entire time. I never once left your side, just like I promised."

"Precisely, and I intend to do the very same for you. I know you can do this, Sophia. If I can then you _definitely_ can."

Sasha and I stare as Sophia's once fearful eyes burns with resolve.

"You're right, I can. Let's do this!"

"Alright, then it's settled." Jaejoong turns to me and Sasha. "Let's head for the shuttle."

Together, hand in hand the pair ascends another flight of stairs. I'm not exactly sure how long they've been an item, but I'm not blind to the signs.

"He loves her," Sasha whispers and my gaze falls on her profile. Her eyes continue to stare after the couple in a sense of awe and understanding. "The way he looks at her, the way he genuinely cares about her…That's not fabricated. It can't be because…you're the same way, Cole. And Sophia…it wasn't a bad analogy when she said, she was downing in her love for him. She's completely smitten with him…*sniff*…my _pequeno golfinho _(little dolphin) has found her first love."

She covers her face with her hands and turns completely away from me. "What's wrong with me? I've become such a sentimental fool and now I'm crying for no real reason."

I chuckle under my breath and wrap my arms around her waist from behind, my fingers move delicately over the smooth skin of her stomach. "You're just happy, Sasha. You're happy to be with your family. You're happy to be spending time with Sophia and seeing what's been going on in her life. I'd say that's as good as any reason to get a little sentimental." I press my face into her still slightly damp hair, the fresh citrus scent unaffected by the previous spray of water. "Actually, I hope to someday…have the same experience you have with your family…"

_A reunion of the Belmontes…will that ever happen?_

"Cole, um…do you want to talk about it? Your family I mean?" She asks tentatively. I sigh and turn her around. Her eyes are a bit moist and dry trails stain her cheeks.

I use my thumb to softly remove a lingering tear from the corner of her eye. "Maybe later," I mumble and grasp her hand. "C'mon let's not keep the lovebirds waiting."

"Lovebirds?" She repeats playfully as we begin our ascent. "Rather cliché, is that what we are too?"

"Nah, in comparison with the animal kingdom I think you and I are dragons."

"But, dragons aren't part of the animal kingdom, Cole. They live in a completely different world."

"Right, that's my point. Our love is out of this world so why not be dragons?" I wink at her and she bursts into laughter.

"Even though that was really cheesy, I still think it's sweet." She leans her head on my shoulder. "You really do have your moments, _bonito_."

"I try. I'm more Italian than Japanese after all."

* * *

**Only one chapter left for this short story and I'll have that done before Trials and Tribulations begins. Come now, guys. Did any of you really think our Ninja and Kunoichi were the only Shinobi in Ninjago? HA! There are a total of eleven clans in the world. One for each of all the Natural and Counter-brink Elements as well as one for each of the not mentioned yet…Forbidden Elements: Time, Metal, and Chaos! Details about the clans will not be revealed until much later…sorry! But, you guys know me well enough by now. I always like to keep things interesting and suspenseful! **

**Please read and review!**


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